Featured in a Story on Channel 7's Today Tonight Program - Chia Seeds are being recognised for the amazing Power-Packed Super Food that they are.
Chia seeds have been around for centuries, and were a main food source of the Indian’s of Mexico and the south west. The seeds are from a chia plant, which is a member of the mint family.
The beauty of this seed is you can add it to just about anything you want to eat. Salads, yoghurt, breads, eggs, deserts, baked goods, soup, sandwiches, sauces, smoothies and in recipes where you ordinarily use sesame seeds.
Chia can be eaten raw, hydrated or cooked. You don’t need to grind up the seeds, unless you would like to add them to flour, they are great to eat as they are. They come in two colors; black and white. Nutritionally there really is no difference between the two.
Chia seeds are an amazing source of healthy fats, good for helping your heart! They are rich in linoleic acid, which is an unsaturated omega 6 fatty acid. The protein content of Chia is higher that other nutritional grains (about 19 to 23% of chia seed weight is protein) and it is a complete protein, meaning that it has the appropriate balance of all essential amino acids. Chia is also high in fibre - a 15gm serving will provide 4 to 5gm of fibre. Our body requires at least 35gm of fibre a day to stay healthy. They contain boron which is essential for bone health, are rich in calcium, have two times more potassium than bananas, and three times more antioxidants than blueberries. They are a Good Source of B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and copper.
Some Health benefits attributed to the Chia seed are:
- build muscle and tissue
- help stop cravings for sweet treats
- help stabilise blood sugar
- gluten free
- help in detoxifying your body
- easily digested and absorbed