• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

VegKitchen logo

  • Vegan Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Baking and Sweets
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Pasta and Noodles
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches and Wraps
    • Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups, Stews, and Chilis
    • Snacks and Dips
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Canning and Preserving
    • Cheese-y Delights
    • Global Recipes
    • Raw Vegan
    • Slow-Cooker
  • Vegan Living
    • Vegan Substitutions Guide
    • Green Kitchen
    • Healthy Eating Tips
    • Food and Produce Guides
    • Vegan Food Hacks
    • Kid Friendly
    • Vegan Product Reviews
    • More Vegan Living
  • About
  • Shop Cookbooks
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Vegan Living
  • Cookbooks
  • About Us
  • Freebie!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegan Living
    • Cookbooks
    • About Us
    • Freebie!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Healthy Kitchen » Food and Produce Guides

    Chia Seeds

    Published: Sep 21, 2012 · Updated: Mar 4, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Chia is taking the health world by storm, and for good reason. Packed full of nutrients, versatile, easy to use, shelf stable and almost flavorless, chia should be in your diet too.

    Chia is a complete vegan protein, contain all essential amino acids. Just one tablespoon has as much protein as an egg. And speaking of eggs, chia gel can be used as an egg replacement in baked goods! With the fiber of five servings of whole wheat bread packed in there too, its easy to use chia to stay full all day long. Adding chia to beverages sipped on throughout the day can even help control food cravings and help with weight loss. Chia has been shown to decrease inflammation with its high antioxidant levels – even more than blueberries! It has even been linked to lowered blood pressure and blood sugar stabilization.

    Antioxidant Chart with Chia Seeds


    How to use chia every day

    Ounce for ounce, chia seeds have even more nutrients then the often compared flax seeds. If that’s not reason enough to switch consider this: unlike flax seeds, chia doesn’t need to be ground up before use. They have a much longer shelf life than flax too, protected by their high omega and antioxidant content. Switch chia with all any recipe you’d typically use flax.

    Chia gel is easy to make and a great way to quickly add all those valuable nutrients to anything you are eating. Simply mix 2 tablespoons of chia seeds with 1 cup of water and wait for it to gel! Chia seeds have a hydrophilic fiber layer covering the inner seed. This layer can soak up to 10x the seeds weight in liquid! The digestive system slowly breaks down the hydrophilic liquid layer on soaked chia before it gets to the good stuff inside. This slow release of liquid and nutrients has a positive effect of both hydration and blood sugar levels. Add chia gel to a glass of water with a squeeze of lime juice for a typical Mexican “chia fresca” or add a cup or two, to a large pot of spaghetti sauce as a thickening agent. The possibilities are endless!

    Sprinkle raw, whole seeds into green smoothies, mix into peanut butter for an even bigger protein boost or simply add to salad dressing.

    For a wonderful, healthy, vegan and kid-approved dessert, try chia seed pudding. Mix 3-4 tablespoons of chia with a cup of any juice or milk alternative. Coconut and almond milk are both fantastic bases for chia pudding. After choosing your “base” pick any tasty mix-in’s you can think of! Fresh fruit, cocoa powder, coconut shavings, whatever you can think of! You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the texture and the flavor combinations you create.

    Chosen Foods Chia seeds are grown in their birthplace, Guadalajara, Mexico, on the same land the ancient Aztecs grew their seeds many, many years ago. The climate, altitude and rich volcanic soil are the perfect combination to create a superior seed. We work directly with small family farmers, teaching them about sustainable growing practices, water conservation and how to be energy efficient. We never use chemicals or pesticides on any of our crops and test every harvest to guarantee a pure product. We also regularly test our omega-3 values against seeds grown in other parts of the world. We are proud to share that Chosen Foods chia, has some of the highest omega values of any chia available on the market today! Because we work directly with farmers, we cut out the middle man and pass on the savings directly to you. Chosen Foods has one of the best prices for chia anywhere. To purchase,click here.

    • For lots more features on healthy lifestyle, please explore VegKitchen’s Healthy Vegan Kitchen page.
    • Here are more of VegKitchen’s Natural Food Guides.

    More Food and Produce Guides

    • tofu being tossed in marinade
      Guide to Tofu for Beginners
    • how to eat dragon fruit
      How to Eat Dragon Fruit? There Are More Ways Than You Might Imagine
    • Quinoa Pilaf with Cauliflower and nuts
      Beyond Brown Rice: Whole Grains for Everyday Meals
    • Vegan "Egg" foo yong
      Tasty and Easy Chickpea Flour Recipes and Tips

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sandra says

      March 11, 2014 at 10:46 pm

      Hello, thanks for this site, I am no longer eating meat, but I need to know how I can incorporate protein in to my diet, and I need to find recepies. S.

    2. Nava says

      April 06, 2014 at 9:57 pm

      Sandra, sorry for the delayed response. You can read more about plant-based protein here: http://www.vegkitchen.com/nutrition/protein/ and do a search on this site for recipes using beans, quinoa, tempeh, and tofu. We have lots of them!

    3. Side Effects of Chia Seeds says

      May 26, 2014 at 8:42 am

      Thanks very much for posting this! It is gonna aid me when I get Chia Seeds at the grocery store! Very Terrific!

    4. Mary says

      July 13, 2015 at 10:28 pm

      Can you offer any citations about the digestive properties of chia? I am finding conflicting info online but nothing linked to a reputable source of biochemistry info.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    nicole malik from vegkithen.com

    Hi, I'm Nicole! I'm the creator behind VegKitchen, and the author of the popular cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. Learn more about me here.

    More about me →

    vegan substitution chart

    Featured Recipes

    • recipes for a vegan Christmas dinner menu
      Best Vegan Christmas Recipes
    • vegan christmas cookies
      Vegan Christmas Cookies
    • vegan irish stew
      Old-Fashioned Vegan Stew
    • vegan breakfast casseroles
      10 Make-Ahead Vegan Breakfast Casseroles
    • Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
    • vegan jalapeno poppers
      Vegan Jalapeno Poppers

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Shop Cookbooks
    • Free Vegan Cheat Sheet
    • About Us
    • Work with Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Still hungry? Check out our delicious family of blogs.


    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Hook & Porter Media