Chia is definitely one of my favorite ‘superfoods’. Chia is not only super healthy, it also comes in handy for adding volume to liquid meals (like I do with my Best Oat Bran) and smoothies, and they make for the best vegan eggs.
Chia seeds are an Ancient Aztek miracle food that formed the majority of their diets. Even though Chia seeds are plant-based and tiny, they are nutritional powderhouses. Not only the Azteks but also Indians and Mayans swore by Chia seeds, sometimes living of off only one teaspoon a day when going on marches. So how was a teaspoon of Chia seeds able to sustain such a vigorous lifestyle?
Chia seeds contain:
- 15 times more magnesium than broccoli
- 8 times more omega 3 fatty acids than salmon (1 T = 100% RDI)
- 6 times more calcium than milk
- 3 times more antioxidants than blueberries
- 3 times more iron than spinach
- 2,4 times more iron than beef
- 2,5 times more protein than legumes
- 2 times more potassium than a banana
- 1,1 times more fiber than oats
- about the same amount of folic acid as asparagus
- all 9 essential amino acids (‘complete protein’)
& contain large amounts of B vitamins
& have antioxidant activity
& are gluten free
& are tolerable for people with nut/seeds allergy
& chia seeds do not need to be ground (like flax) to obtain health benefits
& around 60-80 calories per 2 tablespoons (sources differ)
Health benefits:
- Endurance
- Build muscle & tissue
- Good for skin, hair & brain
Holy cow Batman! Now this is why I love Chia seeds. Another very cool feat of these seeds is that they absorb 10 times their weight in water. This makes the Chia seeds not only very hydrating (good post-workout fuel!), you can also do all kinds of cool stuff with them, like making Chia pudding:
Simply mix water with Chia seeds and any kind of flavoring you like (pumpkin, vanilla, chocolate, fruity), let sit for a few hours in the fridge & voila: delicious nutritious superfood snack.
Chia egg
I find that Chia seeds have a very mild nutty flavor, but this flavor is hardly detectable when incorporated in dishes. When I bake with them, I can’t detect their taste nor structure & the same goes for my morning bowl of Oat Bran.
I am a huge fan of little Chia seeds and want to share the Chia love, which is why I will be giving away one 500g(1lb) bag to one lucky winner!
In order to win you have to leave a comment in the comment section and do one of the following:
- follow me on facebook or twitter or, if you already follow me:
- share this article on facebook or twitter (& tag me so I know of course 
)
The give-away will last for three days and ends Wednesday morning (European time) 8am.
If you don’t win but still like to purchase them I found these two (Dutch) options (but I’m sure there’s more options! + iHerb.com sells them for sweet prices):
- unlimitedhealth.com (€12,95 / 500 g)
- spiruella (€12,95 / 500 g)
Note: ~15 grams is one serving (2 T) so a bag goes a long way 
!
Enjoy your Sundays & good luck in the give-away!
Love,
Sabine
wow had geen idee dat chia zaden zó gezond waren
! Hoe kan er zoveel calcium en ijzer én omega3 in zitten?? Ik eet nóóit vis dus ik kanw el wat meer omegaatjes gebruiken hihi. Ik doe mee. Ik volg je al op twitter en heb geen fb dus zal m tweeten!
wow indeed a superfood! I have heard about chia seeds a lot and see them around on blogs but MAN, I had no idea of the nutrients nor health benefits. Send me a bag please
– added you on twit
I’m in:)!
Ooooh I’m in! I already follow you in any which way so I’ll share this article. Great post!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE chia seeds so I would love to win a bag and I follow you on twitter!:)
Ik volg je site nog maar een paar weekjes, maar ik leer er een heleboel van! Ik heb zelf nog nooit iets met chia zaden gedaan, dus ik doe mee, en ik volg je op twitter.
(dawndella)
Ohhhh darlin I’m in….. already follow you on facebook and twitter see ya there
Added you on Facebook
I loooove chia seeds! I didn’t know you could use them to make vegan eggs, I’ve always used flax but these have way more benefits so I’ll probably try chia out next time! Thanks for the giveaway 
lovely… I spelled my name wrong
haha…
Just ordered chia seeds this week. I think they will come in somewhere next week. So, I let someone else win! I always use flaxseed oil, but I don’t like the taste of it. I hope the chia wil help me to get my daily omega’s without the bad taste. And, it’s great that chia can be used in so many ways! I let you know what my experiences are.
Chia seeds are my new found love – they are amazing!! Great post girly
I’m in! Just tweeted about your giveaway.
I’d love love love to finally get to try chia seeds! Usually I use ground flax seeds to replace eggs in baked goods. Works fine! First thing I’ll probably make a chia pudding. Looks yummy!
YAYAYAYA!!! im in!
im following you!! (i thought i already was.. WOOPS!)
i tweeted!
Hey Sabine,
Leuke post! Ikzelf heb tot nu toe alleen nog ervaring met lijnzaad. Maar die moet je fijnmalen wil je er wat aan hebben. Hoe doe jij dat? Ik vroeg me af wat de beste methode was… En moet dat met chia seed ook? Verder vroeg ik me af of jij je oat bran koud eet of warm? Ik wil t ook eens gaan proberen binnenkort
Liefs, Iris
Hoi Iris, het beste is om je lijnzaad heel te kopen en vlak voor je het wilt gebruiken zelf te maken, bv met een koffie vermaler (of hoe dat ook heet?) of goede keukenmachine/blender. na het malen in een afgesloten zak of bakje bewaren in de koelkast! Maar gebroken lijnzaad kopen kan ook, wel iets midner goed maar ach. ook in de koelkast bewaren! chia zaden hoef je dus niet malen die kun je gewoon heel laten.
ik eet mn oats zeker warm
~5 minuutjes in een pannetje en klaar!
Why on earth have I not come across these little beauties! They sound fabulous & a great way to get my mother of my back that without eating meat (and an allergy to legumes) I cannot possibly be getting enough protein!
Thank you darl!xxx
LOVE chia seeds! i actually just ran out, i would so love to win! added you on facebook.
I have been reading your blog daily for some month now and am finally a facebook-follower!
I´m currently on my way to veganism (been a vegetarian for 14 years now) and just soak up everything about it. Love your recipes and thoughts, thanks for sharing!
Groetjes uit duitsland!
Sonja
wow Sonja, great! Hope my blog can be of assistence haha. ps I used to be in class with a Sonja from Germany! chüss!
I’d love me some chia seeds! You know I already follow you on twitter but I’ll retweet this give-away!
Hey meid, ik zil graag ook meedoen met de give away maar ik kan je niet taggen op facebook via men bb hier in istanbul
my computer is still broken here boo!! Maar ik volg je al op facebook.. you know that 
Chia seeds hebben me altijd al gefascineerd, ever since i saw them on blogs..
hopelijk mag ik meedoen!! talk to you soon from Belgica :d
I found you on BodyRock.tv some time ago and now, from time to time I have been lurking at your site looking for food inspiration and healthy motivation
So, following your suggestion I tagged you on facebook….As for chia seeds: I wonder If I’ll find them here in Poland?I’ll start from the online shopping!!!
by the way, have you tried freshly milled linien seeds?I add them to various baking (like oats cakes), salads, yougurts or, in case of stomach problems – mix a T spoon of the powder with warm water, leave for about an hour and drink – looks and feels like a glue, but is very good for proper digestion, skin, hair and so on
Hi Lena (beautiful name by the way!), do you mean flax seeds with linien seeds? in holland we call them lijnzaad. the tiny brown seeds? I use those a lot! they’re yummy & full of fiber and omega 3 too! and they too, like chia, soak up a lot of water.
Yes, these are flax seeds (as far as I know Poland is one of the biggest exporter of it, and here the seeds are quite cheap
)…..I used to prepare a “morning drink” (glass of warm water and 2 spoons os milled seeds) the night before, and drink it 20-30 minutes prior to breakfast…
Also, I make a face mask out of milled linien seeds + milled oats+ a bit of water – works as peeling, purifier, moisturiser and beautifier
I just found your blog from Choosing Raw. AWESOME! Love it. I just “liked” ya on facebook too! My chia supply is running quite low! I just told my sister about chias yesterday so I’m going to have to send her your way as well!
Have a great day!