You can never really be sure to pronounce the name of these little seeds correctly! For my part, I chose /tchia/… Now that we have agreed on the pronunciation, we can look at this plant which offers many benefits with a minimum of calories.
In this article you will find several ideas for adding chia seeds to all your dishes. And my recipe for chia pudding revives this great healthy restaurant classic.
A nutritional profile that cracks us up
Rich in minerals and antioxidants, chia seeds also contain:
- 15 % protein and all essential amino acids
- 35 % fibre
- 18 % omega-3 (ALA)
- 6 % omega-6
6 ideas for using chia in your daily meals
- As puffed seeds in a pudding (like the recipe below), lemonade or tea.
- As flour for a bread or pizza dough (mixed).
- As topping in a salad, muesli, yoghurt or vegetable dish.
- As a complementary ingredient in baking to improve the nutritional profile of a cake or cereal bar.
- As gelling agent in jam, sauces, energy gel for sportsmen.
- As breading for meat or fish (coarsely mixed).
- 250 ml milk plant-based and sugar-free
- 25 g chia seeds
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond paste
- 1 Mango
- 1 handful oilseeds almonds, walnuts, crushed brazil nuts, etc.
- 2 tbsp flakes quinoa/rice/oats
- In a large glass: mix the chia seeds, the milk and the vanilla extract. Stir regularly for 10 minutes.
- Leave to stand. Be careful not to fill more than half of your glass, the mixture will swell.
- Add the almond paste and mix.
- Place the diced mango, crushed nuts and flakes on top of the almond paste.
- Tip from Petit Criquet Healthy: For an even more delicious recipe, mix half a mango with 2 tbsp of water to make a quick coulis to pour over your chia pudding.
In conclusion I love to see the hydrophilic reaction of the chia seeds, which will swell as soon as it is placed in a liquid. Even as it affects the structure of your recipes, its neutral flavour will not change the taste of your dishes. You can therefore add it in all your recipes that will benefit from the nutritional qualities of chia. So don't hesitate any longer! This article is brought to you by Petit Criquet Healthy, your qualified nutritionist in Lausanne. Find her on her website www.petitcriquethealthy.com