Much to Do With Chia

Written by Shoshana Pritzker Wednesday, 30 November 2011 18:26

Chia, once a prized food of the Aztecs and Mayans, has grown far beyond its use as fast sprouting seeds in the Chia Pet novelty clay figures popular in past decades.

Now due to its nutritional properties chia (Salvia Hispanica L.), a member of the mint family, has become the next “superfood” with growing popularity among men, women, athletes, and dieters.  While not everyone knows how to best consume chia, using the ancient superfood in modern times is easy with a few simple tips.

Chia’s common name comes from the Mayan word “chiabaan” which means strengthening.  The tiny black, white, or speckled seeds have gained notoriety in recent years and a large following of devoted enthusiasts among runners, as a result of Christopher McDougall’s best-selling book Born to Run.

In his book, McDougall describes a chia mixture that the Tarahumara Indians use to support runs of hundreds of miles without rest across Mexico’s Copper Canyon’s rugged terrain.  Since then athletes, bodybuilders, and others seeking better energy, endurance, or performance have discovered chia.  After Oprah and Dr. Oz extolled the virtues of chia on T.V., many consumers also flocked to stores to stock up on the tiny seed for their families.

Chia is of particular interest to anyone looking for a natural, high nutrition, low calorie, energy sustaining food source.  By weight, whole chia seed contains 33% fiber, 20% protein, about five times the calcium of milk, and more Omega 3 than salmon.  It is a good source of antioxidants and minerals including iron, zinc, copper, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.  It is also gluten-free.

An ounce of chia seeds has less than 140 calories.  As chia seeds readily absorb water, they can expand to help the stomach feel full, curbing appetite.  Due to chia’s high soluble fiber content, it forms a gel that can slow sugar absorption into the bloodstream, making it low in the glycemic index.  This can help to maintain energy and limit hunger by reducing blood sugar spikes and drop off after a meal.  For these reasons, Dr. Oz has recommended chia as a key to weight loss.

Despite chia’s growing popularity, many people still don’t know what to do with it.  Chia may be a superfood, but it is also relatively tasteless, even bland.

“As chia’s health benefits become recognized, people’s knowledge of how to eat it is still catching up,” says Sherry Torkos, B. Sc. Phm., a holistic pharmacist, author, fitness instructor, and lecturer.  “You can’t just grab a handful of chia seeds and eat them.  You need to add some kind of liquid and let them soak for several minutes.”

According to Torkos, the seeds are tiny, but are very high in soluble fiber and have the ability to absorb many times its weight in water.  Failing to add water or another liquid means the seeds will draw water from the body leading to possible constipation.

When water is added, a sticky gel is formed around the seed as it swells that can be unappetizing in texture to some, much like tapioca.  To make chia more palatable it is often mixed with juice, applesauce, yogurt or cottage cheese.  It can also be added to soups, sauces, smoothies, puddings, and cereals as a thickening agent, and can be used as an egg replacement in baked goods.

However, for today’s on-the-go consumer, incorporating chia into the daily diet can still be challenging.

Many companies sell plain chia and a few foods such as energy bars and bread incorporate chia, but as a lesser ingredient.  There is only one ready-to-eat packaged product high in chia content on the market to date, a breakfast cereal/snack called Chia Goodness.

“One of my favorite ways to eat chia is in a cereal called Chia Goodness, which combines the chia seed as a primary ingredient, along with other healthy ingredients including my favorite, dark chocolate,” adds Torkos.  “Just add water or milk and it becomes a satisfying, nutritious snack.”

Ruth Shamai, President of Ruth’s Foods and creator of Chia Goodness, invented the product after hearing the same feedback from her customers that purchased plain chia.

“Customers kept buying the plain chia and then would ask, ‘Now what should I do with it?’” says Shamai.

Shamai imagined chia as a perfect ingredient for a raw cereal because of its texture after water is added, which is similar to oatmeal.

“What got my attention is the way chia ‘gels up’ when it gets wet,” adds Shamai.  “Add a little of any type of liquid, hot or cold, and it gets thick within minutes, with no cooking required.  It occurred to me that this quality was right for a cereal with the comfort value of hot oatmeal, but a much higher nutritional value than anything else on the market.”

Shamai ultimately decided to add other raw, healthy ingredients to add taste and texture to her proprietary breakfast cereal/snack formula that includes raw buckwheat, hulled hempseed, Celtic sea salt and other ingredients.  Chia Goodness comes in four flavors: original, dark chocolate, cranberry ginger, and apple almond cinnamon.

A final point for consumers to consider is the source of chia.  The thickening effect of chia is directly related to the seed’s oil content.  Chia with higher oil content tends to be grown at higher altitude, where the oil in the plant helps it to survive lower temperatures.  While most of the chia on the market is inexpensive lower-oil content product from Mexico, higher oil content product comes from higher altitude sources such as Bolivia.

“The Bolivian chia is the key to the cereal thickening as it should,” explains Shamai.  “A serving size of two tablespoons will expand to 1/4 cup once liquid is added.  It’s filling, nutrient-dense, and convenient.  It’s easy to keep in a purse, gym bag, or desk drawer.  It’s easy to take camping, outdoors, or travelling.”

“Chia isn’t a fad,” concludes Torkos.  “Chia and products like Chia Goodness are now in many health food stores, grocery stores and drug stores.  Chia has unparalleled nutritional value and is really convenient once you know how to get it into your diet.”

For more info on Chia Goodness, chia or other recipes e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; visit www.ruthsfoods.com; or write to Ruth’s Foods, 315 Albany Ave., Toronto, Ontario M5R 3E2.

Check out this video of The Ex Fat Chick, Leanne Ellington, showing us one of her favorite recipes using Chia seeds.

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