How to Add Chia Seed to Your Diet

We usually think of chia as the grass-headed pet sold on TV, and not as a “super food". Those tiny seeds, however, are packed with an abundance of nutrients, including fiber, protein, antioxidants, Omega-3 fatty acids and minerals. You can easily add them to your diet. See more information below.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Breakfast

1
Mix chia seeds in yogurt.
- The combination of yogurt's probiotics and the antioxidants from the chia seeds makes this a super-super food.
- Stir in fruit for additional vitamins.
2
Sprinkle chia seeds on hot or cold cereal for breakfast.^{[1]
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- A little chia on oatmeal or other hot whole grain cereals mixes in almost unnoticeably, making it a perfect and nutritious addition.
- The chia complements fruit nicely on a nice bowl of bran flakes or other cold breakfast cereals.
- Combine chia with miso paste and mix into a hot batch of oatmeal. Let this mixture sit overnight in the refrigerator and you'll be greeted with savory fermented oatmeal in the morning. Don't let the furriness scare you: It's delicious and full of live cultures.
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3
Mix into a smoothie.
- A good way to enjoy chia seeds, especially if you're not a fan of their gelatinous quality.^{[2]
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- Blended with fruit, chia seeds resemble raspberry seeds.
4
Mix with milk into pudding.^{[3]
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- Mix with equal parts milk or your favorite non-dairy substitute to make a light, tapioca-like pudding you can eat with nuts, fruit, or all by itself.
- Also, in recipes it's a good substitute for sour cream.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Lunch and Dinner

1
Combine chia seed and peanut butter.
- Use a seeded whole grain bread and chunky peanut butter for a deliciously nutty PB&J.
- Spread peanut butter-chia mixture and dried blueberries on celery sticks for a lunchtime snack kids will love.
- Combine peanut butter-chia mixture with soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, brown sugar, and hot sauce to make a Thai-style peanut sauce for a cold noodle side dish. For added nutrition, substitute agave sweetener for brown sugar and Bragg's Liquid Amino Acid for the soy sauce.
2
Sprout chia seeds for adding to salads.^{[4]
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- Like bean or alfalfa sprouts, chia seeds make delicious sprouts, a wonderful addition for sandwiches or salads.
- Put chia seeds in water, drain excess water and leave in a jar for a couple days.
- Every 12 hours or so, rinse with water and pour the water off.
- In a day or two, the sprouts will be ready to eat.
3
Add chia seeds to soup for thickener. Ground or whole chia seeds are a good substitute for cornstarch when thickening a soup is required.^{[5]
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Research source} For a simple and nutritious vegetable soup, thicken with chia seeds: You will need:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 cups fresh green beans
- 2 quarts of chicken, vegetable or beef broth
- 4 big tomatoes, chopped and peeled
- 2 ears of corn, just the kernels
- 1/2 c. chopped Italian parsley
- 1/8 c. chia seeds or chia seed powder
- black pepper, to taste
- salt, to taste
- lemon juice (optional)
- red pepper flakes (optional)
- In the olive oil, sauté the onion, garlic, celery, green pepper, carrots, and green beans over medium heat. After 5-10 minutes, when the vegetables begin to soften, add the tomatoes, broth, corn, and season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. When it boils, reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Then stir in chia seeds to thicken, and add lemon juice and more seasoning to taste. When the soup thickens, serve immediately, topped with parsley. Serves 6.
4
Use as breading for baked chicken or fish.
- Mix with garlic powder (to taste) and a small amount of flour for a delicious and crunchy addition to your breading.
- Be careful not to burn the seeds when baking.
5
Mix with ground beef to bind meatloaf or meatballs.
- This can be a perfect substitute for breadcrumbs or oats in any beef recipe that needs bound together. Substitute about half the amount of chia seeds and add some coconut milk to bind meat together.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Baking

1
Include chia seeds in any bread mixture. Alongside sunflower seeds and flax, chia seeds are a great addition to any savory or sweet bread recipe. For a delicious flat bread, try this recipe. You'll need:
- 1 9×9 pan, covered with parchment paper
- ½ cup chia seeds
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (can substitute other seeds – sesame, for example)
- ¾ cup oat flour (can be made with gluten-free oats)
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. oregano
- ½ tsp. thyme
- ½ tsp. fine grain sea salt
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. onion powder
- 1 cup water
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Make sure your pan is lined with parchment paper.
- Combine all the dry ingredients together, then add water and stir for about 2 minutes, or until it starts to thicken.
- Pour batter into the pan and even out the surface using a spoon.
- Bake for about 25 minutes; take out and let cool.
- Enjoy!
2
Use as an egg substitute. While you can't make a decent omelette out of chia seeds, a half teaspoon of ground chia seeds can be used to replace the eggs in a baking recipe.
3
Use ground chia seeds to replace 1/4 cup of flour in baked products. Add to your favorite muffin recipe for added nutrition. Chia goes particularly well with banana muffins or sweet banana bread.
4
Make chia gel by adding 1/4 cup seeds to 2 cups of water and stirring every so often till seeds stay suspended in the gel.
- Use chia gel to replace one half of the oil in baked goods such as muffins and pancakes.
- Stores in refrigerator for up to two weeks.
5
Experiment!
- The possibilities for baking with chia are as endless as your imagination. Try it out in cookies, cakes, or pies.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Drinks

1
Prepare “Chia Fresca".
- Combine the juice from one lime with 12-16 oz. of cold water and 1–2 tablespoons (14.8–29.6 ml) of chia seed.
- Stir occasionally until chia stays suspended in the water, as with the baking mixture.
- Enjoy as a refreshing, nutritious and filling beverage.
- Experiment with grape juice or other juices instead of water and lime juice for a different taste.
2
Make into energy gel.
- Add a two tablespoons of chia seeds to a cup of coconut water.
- Let sit for ten minutes.
- Like recently-introduced products from energy and sports drink companies, you'll have a thick hydration and energy gel that's great for runners' recovery or other athletic activity.
3
Mix with your favorite fruit juice.
- Goes slightly better with non-citrus juices, like grape, tomato, or cranberry.

Community Q&A

Question

How much chia seeds can I eat every day?

ArtBrained

Community Answer

A quarter to half a cup should be more then plenty. This can change depending on your diet. Ask a doctor or nutritionist for a more detailed answer.