Chia seeds

[all-smiles]

Does anyone here use them? If so, how? I'm intrigued by what I've read but I trust y'all more than google

[Run Amok]

Personally, I think they are kind of shammy. There are lower calorie ways to get the benefits of fiber. They are pretty high calorie, enough so that you'd probably want to cut something else to make room for them.

[Ice Cream]

Personally, I think they are kind of shammy. There are lower calorie ways to get the benefits of fiber. They are pretty high calorie, enough so that you'd probably want to cut something else to make room for them.

1!

[OldBaldHippie]

I like them...I put a spoonful of chia seeds and a spoonful of coconut oil in my mouth and chew it up...staves off hunger...

[leggova]

You eat them for the omega3 and minerals like calcium, not the fibre.

[Tim]

You eat them for the omega3 and minerals like calcium, not the fibre.

I agree. And they make you run like a Tarahumara.

[Shadow38]

I agree. And they make you run like a Tarahumara.

 

[Run Amok]

You eat them for the omega3 and minerals like calcium, not the fibre.

Well, YOU might eat them for that reason. But, here they are heavily marketed as a weightloss aid because they help you feel full (i.e. fiber)- with omega's and calcium being more of an "icing on the cake" kind of thing. They are pretty calorie dense so one should just keep that in mind before adding them to every meal. 

[onawhim]

I thought you added them to liquid and they swelled up huge so you could eat a lot of volume for not many calories.  That is why people are trying to use them for weight loss I think.  Like a tablespoon of seeds in a cup of liquid? So that would be a cup of pudding type goo for under 100 calories depending on what liquid you used?  If you are eating them dry though I guess they would add up quickly.  For me I put them in the same category as flax seeds.   

[Natasha]

I hadn't heard about the fiber, just the Omega 3 thing.

[Run Amok]

I thought you added them to liquid and they swelled up huge so you could eat a lot of volume for not many calories.  That is why people are trying to use them for weight loss I think.  Like a tablespoon of seeds in a cup of liquid? So that would be a cup of pudding type goo for under 100 calories depending on what liquid you used?  If you are eating them dry though I guess they would add up quickly.  For me I put them in the same category as flax seeds.   

It's the fiber that creats the "goo". There is all kinds of stuff out there about them keeping your blood sugar stable by protecting your stomach lining from sucking in the carbs... or something. But, again, it's just fiber + water. The reason I think it's shammy is because it's not some magic that only chia seeds can deliver. But, yes, basically the same as flax seeds.

[onawhim]

I had not heard the magic carb blocking thing    I guess people are saying they expand in your stomach?  That sounds like woo.    I just thought people made buckets of the chia slime and ate that instead of ice cream so it was healthier/lower calorie and that is why they thought it was a miracle food.  I am not the biggest fan of the mucusy textured puddings but if you like pudding then I could see them being useful in that way. Otherwise they are pretty much another omega 3 seed. 

[Magic Microbe]

It's the fiber that creats the "goo". There is all kinds of stuff out there about them keeping your blood sugar stable by protecting your stomach lining from sucking in the carbs... or something. But, again, it's just fiber + water. The reason I think it's shammy is because it's not some magic that only chia seeds can deliver. But, yes, basically the same as flax seeds.

I love how people always want to make everything a magical super food. Most every food has its good health qualities.

[Run Amok]

I don't think it's 1tbs/cup for 100 calories... I think it's more like 2:1 water/chia. So, yeah, 1tbs is probably not going to be a diet buster... but I've seen a lot of people touting the chia pudding- which is like 1/4 cups of chia/serving... and saying how "guilt free" it is-without mentioning that you're getting a pretty significant # of calories. I think this kind of stuff is one of the reasons people end up being fat when they are "eating healthy". At about 150calories/tbs... chia seeds are pretty calorie dense. Hence my warning. But, there also seems to be a lot of funky math floating around. I see recipes that call for 3/4 cup and make 4 servings and claim they are only adding like 35 calories of chia. Unless soaking them somehow magically reduces the calorie content, I don't really see how that can be the case. '

Anyway, they certainly aren't going to hurt anything, as long as you plan for them in your daily calories. I just don't think the whole "super food" notion is a little silly.

[TK]

I like it.  I put a scoop of seeds into 8 oz of cold water, lime juice, and a dash of sugar.  Stir and let sit for 20 minutes. 

[SandraDee]

Are these the same seeds that are in a Chia pet?

[Tim]

Are these the same seeds that are in a Chia pet?

Yes.

[CheryG]

I think they're cute and I like how they get all frog egg like in water.

I make my Iskiate with coconut rum.