By now you have probably heard that these little black seeds are full of fiber, healthy Omega 3’s and 6’s, calcium, micronutrients, etc. Maybe you have even bought a bag if they carry it in your area, or ordered one online, but now what? You are perfectly willing to try these nutty little wonders, if only someone would tell you how.
Good news, they are very versatile, you can thrown them in just about anything. If you eat them dry without drinking a lot of water they may cause constipation, they are just as filling and healthy if you soak them first. Take one tablespoon seeds and add about a cup of water, milk, or juice, and let it sit about 15 minutes and add to food then and there, or put it in the refrigerator and use it the next day.
If you soak a tablespoon in 1/4 cup water your seeds will become a gel that you can now use as an egg substitute in baked goods or added to one egg to make a larger omelet, whatever you like. You can add one tablespoon to one cup apple juice or tea to make a sago or a chia bubble tea.
You can add your soaked seeds to yogurt, quinoa, pudding, oatmeal, etc., you can also use them dry in the same ways. You can use dry seeds as a thickening agent in soups and stews, hearty casseroles, as a binder to ground meat, and many others. You can even enjoy a handful by itself, nutty and delicious.
You can add your seeds to cake batter, pancake batter, in milk or almond milk they make a kind of pudding. You can mix seeds, fruit juice, and yogurt for a delicious breakfast dish.
The uses are only limited by your imagination, so set some to soak and start throwing them in your dishes as you cook and see where you yourself like them best. Current recommendations are 1-2 tablespoons a day, easy to achieve when they are so versatile! Happy eating!
Sources: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/chia-recipe.html?page=2
http://www.chiaseedrecipes.com/40-ways-to-use-chia-seeds.php
