Chia Seeds

Chia seeds have been made famous for growing “hair” on Chia Pets, as in  "♪Ch-ch-ch-chia♫".  Until recently, I didn’t know there was any other use for them. If fact, chia seeds are a highly nutritious food. Chia flour is also great for improving the texture of gluten free baked goods.

Chia seeds are a good source of protein, fiber, omaga-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Unlike flax seeds, which are also highly nutritious, chia seeds don’t have to be ground to be utilized by the body.

Chia flour can be used as a thickener in sauces, as an egg replacer, and as a replacement for xanthan gum and guar gum in gluten free baking. Apparently there are a number of people who don’t tolerate the gums in their diets, and some of the gluten free recipes need them to achieve the proper texture. So I’m working with chia and will soon have some recipe recommendations using this high nutrient ingredient.

If they aren’t available to you locally, you can purchase whole chia seeds and milled (ground) chia seeds online from Nutiva.

Cindy

Comments

  1. May just have to give these a try :) I have seen them in our local health food store.

    ReplyDelete
  2. They sell them at costco!

    ReplyDelete

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