Nutrition in Chia Seeds

Many of us are familiar with the chia seed from the infamous "Chia Pet." But many people might not realize that these little seeds, which helped to grow the fur on clay animal decorations, are actually a nutritional powerhouse.
The chia seed originated in Mexico's central valley and is a member of the mint family. It was a large part of early Aztec and Mayan diets but was nearly destroyed during the Spanish conquest.
One ounce of the seeds has around 130 calories, of which approximately 16 percent is protein, 31 percent is fat and 44 percent is carbohydrate.

Fiber

• Chia is approximately three-fourths insoluble and one-fourth soluble fiber. Its fiber has a higher viscosity than other dietary fibers which causes it to keep you feeling fuller longer by increasing intestinal transit time. This also causes chia to slow the rate of glucose absorption and is therefore recommended by many doctors for diabetics.

Fatty Acids

• Chia is a wonderful plant-based source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Much like flaxseed, chia provides omega-3 in the form of alpha-linolenic acid. In a 1 ounce portion of seed there are 9 grams of fat, approximately 64 percent of which are omega-3s.
  Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids, meaning that they are essential for health and cannot be produced by the body, thus must be supplemented. They are credited for their ability to reduce inflammation and prevent many risk factors associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis.

Antioxidants and Minerals

• Chia seeds are full of antioxidants and minerals. They have among the highest antioxidant activity of any whole food and score extremely high on the ORAC scale, which measures antioxidant value.
  They also have a full spectrum of minerals. Two tablespoons contains 205 milligrams of calcium, which is more than 2 percent milk.

Chia vs. Flax

• Chia offers many advantages over flax. Ounce for ounce it contains a higher percentage of omega-3s than flax. They also are not as fragile as flax, will store longer and will not go rancid as easily.
  Flaxseed can be very difficult to digest, whereas chia has been reported to be easier on the digestive system. They don't need to be ground up before consuming, like flax seeds do.

Recipes

• There are many delicious ways that you can add chia seeds to your diet. Add them to salads and smoothies, sprinkle them on top of oatmeal, or try them in this muffin recipe.

  Whole grain banana nut muffins (gluten free), courtesy of gingerlemongirl.com

  Dry ingredients
  1/2 cup millet flour
  1/2 cup sorghum flour
  1/2 cup tapioca flour
  2 teaspoons chia seed meal or 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
  2 teaspoons baking powder
  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)

  Wet ingredients
  2 eggs
  1/4 cup non-fat yogurt
  3 tablespoons heart healthy oil -or- melted butter
  2 ripe bananas (about 1 to 11/2 cups mashed)
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  2/3 granulated sugar -or agave nectar

  Directions:
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners or non-stick cooking spray. In a medium sized bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. In another bowl mash bananas with a fork, cream in sugar or agave nectar. Add eggs, vanilla, yogurt, and oil or butter. Mix together thoroughly. Add banana/egg mixture to dry ingredients. Stir together just until incorporated. Pour batter 2/3 full into prepared muffin tins. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs. Makes 12 muffins.