When chia seeds are exposed to liquids, such as water or milk, they increase as much as 12 times their initial weight and size. The size increase helps satisfy your appetite.You can grind it up into a meal called ‘pinole’ and add it to just about anything.

Dry chia seeds are a simple garnish for salads and are tasty sprinkled in soups. You can eat them in any way you would use poppy or sesame seeds.

In Mexico, they mix the whole chia seeds with water or fruit juice to make something they call ‘chia fresca’ which translates as ‘fresh chia’.

The ancient version called ‘Iskaite’ is water mixed with chia seeds and added lemon or lime. This combination was thought to give the Ancient Mexicans stamina and hydration.

Chia SproutsYou can also sprout them in much the same way as you sprout alfalfa seeds and use them in salads.

They are also great added to bread, muffin or smoothie recipes and can be sprinkled on top of cereal, yogurt or oatmeal.

One serving of dry chia seeds is 3 tablespoons, which weighs about 1.4 ounces. Each serving has just over 190 calories.Based on a 2,000-calorie DV, you eat 9 percent of your day’s calories in 3 tablespoons of chia seeds.

When you blend 3 tablespoons of dry chia seeds with liquid, they absorb moisture and grow to nearly 3/4 cup in volume, including the gel that naturally forms around them.

A 3-tablespoon serving of chia seeds has 12 grams of fat, only 1 gram of which is saturated. The remaining 11 grams are heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.The DV for fat is 65 grams and for saturated fat is 20 grams. Each serving of chia seeds has 18 percent of a day’s fat intake and 5 percent of a day’s saturated fat intake.

You don’t consume any cholesterol in a helping of chia seeds, and it only contains 6 milligrams of sodium. The DV for cholesterol is 300 milligrams, and the sodium DV is 2,400 milligrams.

Each 3-tablespoon helping of chia seeds has 7 grams of protein.Chia seeds 2Based on a 50-gram protein DV, you eat 14 percent of your day’s protein in each serving. There are also just 17 grams, or 5 percent of a 300-milligram DV, of carbohydrates in each helping.

The element of chia seeds that keeps you full is their staggering 14 grams of dietary fiber in a 3-tablespoon serving.

The DV for fiber is 25 grams; you consume 56 percent of that in a

Chia seeds have 249 milligrams of calcium in each 3-tablespoon serving.The DV for calcium is 1,000 milligrams, so you eat about 25 percent with one helping. Calcium is essential for bone and teeth strength.

You also consume 4 milligrams of niacin in one serving. Niacin helps your body convert food to usable energy and keeps your skin and nerves healthy. The DV for niacin is 20 milligrams; one serving of chia seeds has 20 percent of your day’s niacin.

Each helping also has 3 milligrams of iron, or 16 percent of an 18-milligram DV. Iron is essential to keep your blood oxygenated.

You consume trace amounts of magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B-12, thiamine and folate with each serving.

Source: Journal of the Americans Dietetic AssociationJune 2010, Volume 110, Issue 6, Pages 946-949

“Chia (Salvia hispanica L) Gel Can Be Used as Egg or Oil Replacer in Cake Formulations”

Authors: R. Borneo, A. Aguirre, A.E. Leon