White Chia Seeds

White Chia Seeds

close white chia seedsWhite chia seeds are produced by a number of companies today, but among the first to put them on the market was Salba, who trademarked the name “Salba”, but still it is just a brand for chia seeds.

The word Salba is a combination of chia’s scientific name Salvia hispanica L. and the Latin name for white, “Alba”.

In addition to Salba, there are many other varieties of premium white chia seeds that have been developed, and are sold under a variety of trademark and brand names.

White Chia Seeds – Fact and Fiction

Many brands of white chia seeds advertise that their chia is more nutrient dense than black chia seeds, a claim that has yet to be conclusively proven through scientific study.

And statistically speaking, there is no difference in the nutritional content of Salba (white seed) vs. normal chia seeds (white/black/mottled seed (Salvia hispanica).

While the overall nutritional profiles are basically identical, for example, protein, fiber, fat, etc., the black chia seed has an ORAC rating quite a bit higher than the white seed. Ten points to be precise, which is quite a large gap.

 

What is ORAC?

(ORAC) stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, in other words it is a way to measure antioxidant capacities in biological samples (foods).

Numerous types of foods have been tested using this method, and certain berries, spices, and legumes have been rated highly over other types of food.

The belief is that if a fruit or vegetable has a high antioxidant property, then it directly correlates to superior health benefits of consuming said food, which goes to fighting free radical damage, helping to prevent disease and to slow aging.

White or Black Chia – It Doesn’t Really Matterplant of chia - salvia hispanica

The increasing availability of the white seeds just goes to show that if you plant white chia seeds, you get white chia, and if you plant black seeds, you get black chia.

White chia seeds and black chia seeds are very close in nutrition, as the black chia has a tad more antioxidants than white chia, but white chia has a bit more protein.

White chia seeds do not have a pigment based antioxidant called Quercetin and therefore have one less antioxidant than black Chia.

However, there is one thing we can agree on and that is chia seeds, white or black, are a nutrient rich food and a good addition to a healthy diet.

White Chia Seeds – Climate and Soil Produces Superior Seeds

In its native form, the chia plant produces a mix of edible black, brown, and white seeds. Studies suggest the most nutritious chia seed is grown in cool temperatures and high altitude.

Since things like the soil and temperature of the place that the plant is grown does affect the nutrient content, both black and white chia seeds grown in the same area will have their entire nutritional content and not just protein alone being identical.

Whether you prefer white chia seeds or dark chia seeds, it just goes to show that all colors of chia seeds are equally nutritious if they are grown under the same conditions. So stop worrying about color and think, location!

Chia Seed Pudding

chia seeds pudding and strawberriesChia Seed Pudding

Chia seed pudding is a simple, but healthy alternative to some of the more sugary sweets we might be tempted to try.

Chia seeds are packed with nutrients, high in omega 3 fatty acids, rich in fiber, and they form a gel when soaked in water, which is great for making puddings or using as a replacement for eggs in recipes.

Chia seeds can be immersed in a liquid for as little as ten minutes when they start forming into a gel.

When chia seeds are soaked in liquid for at least an hour, they transform into a substance that is very similar to tapioca pudding.

Chia Seed Pudding – Simple Preparation

Growing up, tapioca pudding was one of my favorite desserts, but now I’ve replaced it with chia seed pudding, which is much more nutrient dense, unprocessed, and simple to make, taking only a few minutes to prepare.

At the heart of the matter, there is not much to chia pudding. All it takes to make the simplest of chia pudding is to mix one part chia seeds with two parts liquid (almond milk tastes the best for me), stir, and wait.

You just want to make sure all the chia seeds are coated with almond milk (they tend to float), as you don’t want clumps of chia seeds to form. Just stir for a minute or so and that should do the trick.

Other Chia Seed Pudding Recipes

You could also try making your pudding with coconut milk as your liquid. Try this recipe for Vanilla Chia Seed Coconut Milk Pudding. For one serving,coconut chia pudding

  • 1 Tbl. chia seeds
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • vanilla extract
  • chopped medjool dates for sweetness

Another ultra simple chia seed pudding recipe is: chia seeds, mushed banana, cacao, almond milk.The chia seeds blended well with the creamy pureed banana and rich chocolate flavor, pureed banana and cacao powder is a combo that I just love to make.

Most of these recipes are going to be dependent on what your specific likes and dislikes are. I prefer almond milk for my pudding, but you might like coconut milk, hemp milk, or even regular milk. Just experiment, with chia seeds as your main ingredient and you will be fine.

Chia Seed Recipes – A Tiny Bit More Involved

I don’t know what you want to call this chia seed pudding recipe, but I make it using 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk,1 cup of coconut milk, 3 tbl. agave, 1 tbl. cinnamon (I love the combination of cocoa and cinnamon), 1 tbl. of cocoa, 1 tbl. vanilla and 1/4 cup chia seeds. This recipe tends to be a bit more liquidy, instead of thickening, so maybe you can try it as a shake.

Blueberry Chia Seed Puddingblueberry chia pudding

  • 1/2 cup chia seed gel*
  • 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
  • 2 teaspoons lucuma powder
  • 1 teaspoon maca powder (optional)
  • Vanilla creme stevia, to taste

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
*5 tablespoons chia seed mixed with 2 cups water

Creamy orange chia seed pudding recipe

  • 3 medium sized oranges (peeled with a sharp knife with all white exterior rind removed)
  • 2/3 cup cashews
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 tiny pinch sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons honey 1/3 cup chia seeds (Reserve! Do not add to blender)

1. Add all ingredients (except chia seeds) to your high-speed blender. Remember, use nice, fresh oranges that have most of the white external rind bits cut off.

2. Blend mixture until very creamy and smooth (do not add the chia seeds!).

3. Place untouched chia seeds in a mixing bowl. Pour orange mixture on top of chia seeds.

4. Stir mixture vigorously with a spoon. Ensure that the chia seeds are well distributed.

5. Chill this raw orange chia seed pudding recipe in the refrigerator for at least three hours, stirring once per hour if you can remember to do so (no biggie if you forget)! However, it is important to let this chia pudding recipe sit in the fridge for a few hours before consuming because the chia seeds will expand up to 10 times their original size, similar to tapioca seeds, and then it tastes that much better!

I hope you will go out and try a few of these chia seed pudding recipes, and let me know how much you like them.

Chia Gel

Chia Gel

chia seeds gelMaking chia gel is another way to get all the nutritious properties of chia into your body.

Chia gel provides all the beneficial nutrients in chia seeds, including essential fats (EFAs), complex carbohydrates,

protein, soluble fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, polysaccharides, and more.

To make chia gel, just add chia seeds to any sort of liquid, and in a relatively short period of time you’ll have your gel.

Chia Gel – A Detailed Approach

To make chia gel, simply add one third cup of Chia seeds (Salvia Hispanica) to two cups of water, stir well to prevent clumping several times during the first few minutes.

Or the way I make it is that you just add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds to one cup of water and cover, then refrigerate. After about 10-15 minutes you’ll see the chia seeds have absorbed the water to form a gel.

Throughout the day I’ll open the fridge and dip a spoon into the gel that I created and just eat a spoonful. The chia gel doesn’t taste like much, so I’m eating healthy, while feeling full.

 

Huge Benefit of Chia

One of the primary benefits of chia gel is that it slows the conversion of carbohydrates into sugars, thereby regulating and sustaining healthy blood sugar levels in the body.

Chia gel creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, which slows the conversion of carbs into sugar.

A person who has added chia gel to their diet is able to eat a meal with normal portions, yet only consume about half the calories they would normally eat; plus, they are getting a nutritious meal.

In fact, for individuals having diabetes or anyone desiring to stabilize blood sugar levels, research suggests taking 3 tablespoons of chia gel with each meal for an optimal slowing of the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar, as well as providing better assimilation of the foods that are eaten.

How to Use in Recipes

Making a chia gel softens the seeds and makes them easier to eat and more versatile for use in recipes.

Chia gel may also be used in place of fats within recipes, even within baked goods. Chia Gel can replace up to half of the butter or oil in any recipe without altering the flavor or the cooking method.

A good idea is to have some water based chia gel on hand in the fridge to add as an egg or butter substiute to cakes or cookies, one tablespoon of gel replaces one egg.

Chia gel may be taken by itself or added to creamy and liquid foods, significantly boosting nutrition and acting both as a food extender and a calorie displacer.

chia seeds and fruit

The gel can be added to sauces, drinks, yogurt, salad dressings, cream cheese, jams, jellies, preserves, salsa, hot/cold cereals, yogurt, dips, puddings, soups, or other liquid or creamy foods.

And since chia seeds have no flavor of their own, they distribute and take on the taste of whatever food or drink you add them to.

I think the above video is great on showing you exactly what chia gel looks like, but I would skip the sugar and lemon juice, unless it is part of a recipe.

Chia Gel – Hydration and Nutrition for Athletes

In addition to adding up to 50% to 75% more volume to the foods used, Chia removes calories and fat because its gel is 90% water.

Chia seeds are great for endurance sports and running because the seed is very hydrophilic, holding 9-12 times its weight in water. In other words, they are great for athletes because the chia gel will hydrate the body.

Because chia gel contains so much water it helps with nutrition and hydration, and provides lots of energy that seems to release over time, as opposed to the spike and crash of traditional energy gels and drinks.

Where To Buy Chia Seeds

Where to Buy Chia Seeds

Where you can buy chia seedsWhere to buy chia seeds is a question I get asked a lot once people find out all of the superior benefits these powerful seeds offer. The answer to where to purchase them is really very simple.

You can purchase chia seeds from your local health food stores, Trader Joe’s, and even some larger grocery store chains will offer a selection of chia seeds.

If possible, check and see if the chia seed was grown organically. If it was grown organically, make sure you check its certified organic certificate, if feasible, and not somebody telling you it is organic without proof.

Where to Buy Chia Seeds – Where I Purchase

Where to buy chia seeds doesn’t have to be a problem you ask yourself because now there are so many online retailers that are starting to carry this wonderful product.

I’ve purchased chia seeds from several online resources including: Ebay, Amazon, and Nutiva.

There are a number of other online retailers like Raw Food World, Foods Alive, and Navitas Naturals that stock organic chia seeds, as well.

In the past, where to buy chia seeds was limited to only a few stores and online addresses, but now the seed is gaining in popularity and before too long we will see a proliferation of stores both brick and mortar sites, as well as online stores that carry this product.

Online Stores and Using Coupons

When you do purchase from online retailers make sure you do a search for a coupon for that particular store. For example, when I was recently checking out where to buy chia seeds from various stores I found Nutiva to have a good sized 3 pound organic bag of chia seeds for $21.99.

The price got even better when I did a search in the search engine for coupon for Nutiva. I found a $10 coupon off my order that took my $7.33 a lb of chia, to $3.99 a pound for chia.

Most online stores will have coupons available on a monthly basis, just be sure to do a search in the search engine and add it to the apply code before completing your purchase.

chia seeds internet access

Where To Buy Chia Seeds – My Preference

I guess I just prefer to order chia seeds online because I can use coupons, tax free, as well as free shipping in most cases. In addition, the more quantity of chia seeds you purchase at one time, the more you will save.

And in many cases, after you make your first purchase with an online company, they will send you additional coupon codes and special offers to you.

So be sure to check your email for any such offers that may come your way once you have made a purchase with them. I hope this information will help you in your search to not only consume more chia on a daily basis, but you will never need to ask where to buy chia seeds again.

Organic Chia Seeds

Plant of Organic Chia SeedsOrganic Chia Seeds

Organic chia seeds are seeds that are grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. When we buy organic foods, we are trusting that the food we buy is in fact organic.

The only way to ensure that your food is truly organic, and that we are not paying extra for the false claims and advertising, is to ensure that the food is certified organic.

Any producer in business directly involved with food production can be certified organic.

The certification process will vary from state to state, and country to country, but try and purchase produce that is certified organic.

Organic Chia Seeds – Trust Your Local Farmer

Another way of ensuring that you are purchasing organic chia seeds is to buy them from a small, neighborhood producer who has been growing other foods organically and whose growing process you can see personally.

Don’t be afraid to communicate with your local farmers and see what types of crops they specialize in producing.

Once you trust the farmer to use only organic fertilizers and alternative pest control, you can trust that your chia seeds will be organic as well.

Good News About Chia Seeds

There are certain types of crops that are more difficult to grow than others and require more fertilizer and pesticides to maintain. Happily for us, insects hate the chia plant and organic chia seeds are easier to produce.

Chia seeds come from the mint family and there is just something about the seeds that bugs insects. (pun intended)

In addition to being disliked by insects, chia seeds can be stored at room temperature for long periods of time without becoming rancid, unlike say flaxseeds.

chia seeds come from mint family

Chia Was a Staple of Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas

A long, long time ago long before the fad of terracotta chia pets, organic chia seeds were cultivated and eaten by the ancient Aztecs, Incans, and Mayans, and was considered a staple food alongside corn and beans.

Aztecs used flour made from roasted chia seeds in a variety of energizing gruels, beverages, and food bars.

In pre-Columbian times, chia seeds were a component of the Aztec and Mayan diets and the basic survival ration of Aztec warriors; considered more valuable than gold, and even played a role in religious ceremonies.

What Makes Organic Chia Seeds So Special?

Organic chia seeds are one of the most powerful, functional, and nutritious superfoods in the world! The chia seed is an excellent source of fiber, packed with antioxidants, full of protein, loaded with vitamins and minerals, and the richest known plant source of omega-3.

Incorporating chia seeds into the daily diet has shown to enhance the nutrient absorption of all foods, including nutritional supplements.

By increasing our consumption of antioxidant-rich foods like chia, we thereby increase antioxidant activity in our bodies, and slow the aging process.

Organic chia seeds are an ideal food for individuals with gluten sensitivity, carbohydrate intolerance, hypoglycemia, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, or anyone who wants to avoid common gluten-containing grains like corn, barley, and wheat.

How To Eat Chia Seeds

How To Eat Chia Seeds

best how to eat chia seedsHow to eat chia seeds is a question I get asked quite frequently. The answer might surprise you in the sense that eating chia will depend primarily on your taste buds and eating habits.

Some people say chia seeds taste rather nut-like, while other people believe they have a similar look, feel and taste to poppy seeds.

To me, chia seeds are almost tasteless which means that you can add them to practically anything that you eat or drink.

How To Eat Chia Seeds – Any Meal

Chia seeds are so adaptable that they can be had at any time of day with anything you wish to have it with.

How to eat chia seeds if you are having breakfast, add them to your protein shake, sprinkle the seeds on your oatmeal, cereal, pancakes, or yogurt. Blend them up and add them to your toast, or on sliced fruit.

Even take a handful of seeds and eat them as a snack. How to eat chia seeds is really only limited to your imagination.

Soaking the Seed

How to eat chia seeds, one of the most common ways is to add 1-2 tablespoons of seeds to 8-12 ounces of water or fruit juice. The seeds will then absorb a large amount of liquid, between 9-12 times their volume, in about 10 minutes.

When left in the liquid the chia seeds form into a gel that when consumed causes a slow release of carbohydrates and an equally slow conversion of carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar) for energy.soaked chia seed

In other words, the gel creates a physical barrier between the carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down. Which means you consume less calories and you feel fuller longer.

Chia seed gel is not only simple to make but can be stored in your refrigerator for about two weeks.

Other Ways to Eat Chia Seeds

You can substitute portions of flour with chia seeds in your baked goods. The ground chia seeds can be used to replace up to one-fifth of regular flour for your baked goods.

Mix ground chia seeds in the cake mixture or any batter prepared for other baked products. Chia seeds work well as egg replacement in baked goods where the egg would be used as a binder.

Even chia seed gel can be added to any recipe and used to replace the oils/fats in your baking. Just divide the amount of butter or oil in half, and then use the same amount of chia gel to fill in.

 

How To Eat Chia Seeds – Extremely Durable

Chia seeds can easily be stored dry for 4-5 years without deterioration in flavor, odor or nutritional value.

The antioxidant properties of chia seeds allow them to remain stable and unharmed for a relatively long period of  time.

Unlike flax seeds, which deteriorate rather quickly, just store chia at room temperature and you have a long lasting seed.

As you can see, how to eat chia seeds is really a rather simple task. You can be like me and just use them on practically anything and everything.