Chia seeds??

aWiiPeanut started this discussion · 5/18/2010

Has anyone ever heard of chia seeds and their benefits? Is it associated with a certain diet program or are they just supossed to be used to limit your intake on food? My mom found them and told me about them...they are supossed to be sprinkled in your food and they swell up to make your food appear to be more than is really there...like a filler. Like if you have a tsp of ketchup and you add chia seeds and when they expand, it'll be like having more ketchup then you really put on your plate. I haven't even had time to research this ...apparantly they are supossed to have multiple benefits to your health...i just thought i'd see if anyone has tried them firsthand. thanks!!

11 replies

chemgoddess1 · 5/18/2010
They are supposed to be healthy kind of like flax seeds are healthy. Just like any fiber they are going to make you fuller longer. I would not attribute them to being some new miracle diet food. Plus right now they are ridiculously expensive for the punch that they pack.
aWiiPeanut · 5/18/2010
Yea my first thought was flax seeds when she told me about them. They aren't supossed to have a flavor though. I just thought it would be good in sauces/dressings since they are so bad for you. I can't eat a dry salad =) Any little bit helps. I've changed my lettuce from only eating iceberg to eating spinach leaves and some romaine and sprouts...i grow my own sprouts. Trying to implement healthy things everywhere i can =)
chemgoddess1 · 5/18/2010
A while back I had gotten these bars called cocochia that were out of this world! They are about $3 a piece but man are they yummy!!
CheeryBomb · 5/19/2010
I just thought it would be good in sauces/dressings since they are so bad for you. I can't eat a dry salad =) Any little bit helps. Trying to implement healthy things everywhere i can =) Just a little tip for you...In the March/April 2010 issue of Clean Eating Magazine on pg.46, there are 9 homemade salad dressings (along with a recipe for each) . The recipes are easy and have very few ingredients, most of which are pantry staples (so no weird/exotic ingredient you can only get once a year at a random farmers market 20 miles away). Also, they are made without the use of High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Preservatives, or any other ingredient you can't pronounce or don't know what it is. Therefore, much healthier and easier on your waste line 😀 Here is the list of dressings. Let me know which ones you want the recipes for, and I'll post them for you. Creamy Fresh Herb Rice Vinegar & Wasabi Creamy Lemon Basil Walnut Honey & White Balsamic Orange Herb Tarragon Mustard Curry Buttermilk Ranch (Yes, you can still have Ranch!)
aWiiPeanut · 5/19/2010
Oooo...creamy fresh herb sounds good, creamy lemon, basil walnut, and ranch (yum!) thank you cheerybomb!! =)
CheeryBomb · 5/19/2010
Oooo...creamy fresh herb sounds good, creamy lemon, basil walnut, and ranch (yum!) thank you cheerybomb!! =) All credit for these recipes goes to Clean Eating Magazine. This is not my creation in anyway, and I am taking no credit for them. Just passing them along because I think they are wonderful! (Had to add my disclaimer just in case 😉 ) Creamy Fresh Herb Dressing This herbed dressing can also be used as a dip for crudites (raw veggies/finger foods). Just thicken the mix by increasing the amount of Greek yogurt to 3/4 cup. 6 Tbsp nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt 2 tsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp raw organic honey 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp parsley, chopped 1 tsp fresh dill, snipped or chopped 1 tsp lemon zest Fresh ground black pepper, to taste Instructions: In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until blended. Refrigerate until serving or use immediately. Store in a sealed container in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serves 4, Makes 1/2 cup, Total time 7 minutes Nutrients per 2 Tbsp serving: Calories 25, Total Fat 0, Sat. Fat 0, Carbs 3g, Fiber 0g, Sugars 1g, Protein 2g, Sodium 40 mg, Cholesterol 0mg ****************************************************************************** Creamy Lemon Dressing: Break up last night's cold cooked salmon, mix it with this fresh creamy dressing and serve it alongside rice and greens for a brand new lunch or dinner. 4 oz soft tofu, drained 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp lemon zest 1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar or rice vinegar 1 Tbsp EVOO Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste 1 tsp chives, chopped Instructions: One: Place tofu in a blender and process with lemon juice and zest, vinegar and oil, scraping down sides of bowl as needed Two:Transfer dressing to a small mixing or serving bowl and stir in salt, pepper, and chives. Refrigerate until serving or use immediately. Store in a sealed container in refrigerator for 1 to 2 days (dependent on shelf life of tofu). Serves 4, Makes 1/2 cup, Total time 7 minutes Nutrients per 1 Tbsp serving: Calories 50, Fat 4.5g, Sat. Fat 0g, Carbs 1g, Fiber 0g, Sugars 0g, Protein 2g, Sodium 60mg, Cholesterol 0g ***************************************************************************************** Basil Walnut Vinaigrette Drizzle this dressing over cooked, cooled rice or whole wheat pasta with fresh vegetables for an impromptu grain salad! 10 Fresh basil leaves, finely chopped 1/2 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp wine vinegar 1 Tbsp EVOO 2 Tbsp low sodium chicken broth (try it with low sodium vegetable broth if you are vegetarian/vegan) Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste 1 Tbsp unsalted walnuts, chopped Instructions: In a medium size mixing bowl, add basil, garlic, dijon, vinegar, oil, broth, salt, and pepper, whisking to combine thoroughly. Stir in walnuts. Refrigerate until serving or use immediately. Store in a sealed container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Serves 4, Makes 1/4 cup, Total time 10 minutes Nutrients per 1 Tbsp serving; Calories 45, Fat 4.5g, Sat. Fat 0.5g, Omega 3s 200mg, Omega 6s 990mg, Carbs 1g, Fiber 0g, Sugars 0g, Protein 0g, Sodium 80 mg, Cholesterol 0mg ************************************************************************************************** Buttermilk Ranch Dressing This dressing does double duty as a flavorful vegetable dip. No modifications required! 5 Tbsp low fat buttermilk 3 Tbsp nonfat plain Greek style yogurt 1/4 tsp onion powder 1 tsp fresh dill, chopped 1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped 1 tsp fresh chives, chopped Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste Instructions: In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until blended. Refrigerate until serving or use immediately. Store in a sealed container in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serves 6, Makes 1/2 cup, Total time 15 minutes Nutrients per 2 Tbsp serving; Calories 10, Total fat 2g, Sat fat 0g, Carbs 1g, Fiber 0g, Sugars 1g, Protein 1g, Sodium 55mg, Cholesterol 1mg Hope this will help you with the changes you are making to become healthier. Btw, if you haven't already, check out Clean Eating. It's super easy and has delicious recipes. You're never hungry and nothing is cut out of your diet except the things that are not good for your body. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. 🥂
chemgoddess1 · 5/19/2010
Kind of off topic, but Cheery, did you ever try any of the pizzas from a couple issues back? My husband and I DEMOLISHED 2 of them (Windy City and the one with arugula and radicchio). I go through each issue and put post it notes on things I want to try. My absolute favorite so far has been the spicy Thai coconut soup. I cannot seem to ever make enough of it.
CheeryBomb · 5/20/2010
No Chem, I haven't tried the pizzas yet but I want to. They look mouth watering good. Maybe we can have family pizza night this weekend and make some home made pizzas! I am a total sweets person so it seems like I always try the desserts first 😉 I have had the Almond Chocolate chip cookies from Mar/Apr and I just made the Strawberry Rhubarb Crumbly from May/June today. I love both of them. They're so decadent with just enough sweet to settle any craving.
chemgoddess1 · 5/20/2010
I tried the almond chocolate chip cookies too and talk about yum! I have not figured out how to make almond butter in my vitamix yet (I make natty PB just fine). I also found that the recipe for the ice cream cookie without the ice cream is pretty tasty. I think it is oatmeal and dark chocolate. I substituted oat flour for whatever type of flour it called for. They are pretty dangerous! Oh, the "yogurt cheese" (basically greek yogurt) and melted dark chocolate is heavenly, especially when spread on the above cookies!
CheeryBomb · 5/20/2010
I also found that the recipe for the ice cream cookie without the ice cream is pretty tasty. I think it is oatmeal and dark chocolate. I substituted oat flour for whatever type of flour it called for. They are pretty dangerous! Oh, the "yogurt cheese" (basically greek yogurt) and melted dark chocolate is heavenly, especially when spread on the above cookies! Yummo, I'll have to try all of the above! You're making me hungry just thinking about it
sable · 6/16/2010
Cheerybomb thanks for posting that magazine it looks like a really good one! They give some receipes here the third on down is Orange Chia Dream Pops http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/ Sable