Food Finds- Chia Seeds & Kombucha

[fitme40]

I went to a local grocery store today and their health food section rocked! I found Bob's Red Mill Chia seeds and bought them but don't really know what to do with them. Any suggestions? Also found GTs Kombucha. Not so sure I'm going to be able to stomach them but I'm going to try Bought the green drink one...really tastes funky and the cranberry which to me tastes a little better but still a strange flavor that must take some getting used to.

Thanks!

 

[NRG Woman]

I put chia seeds in my oatmeal every day, I have also been known to mix it in my smooth pb to make it crunchy. DM puts chia seeds in her yogurt every day.

 

[bceogirl]

Chia seeds go in my oatmeal every day too. Also good in yogurt, baking , smoothies.....you can make a chia egg to replace a real one in a pinch or to make a recipe vegan. It's as simple as mixing some seeds and water (maybe 1T seeds to 3 T water ? you'd have to look it up to be sure) and letting it sit a few minutes.
Not sure about the Kombucha, sorry. I've never bought that.

 

[jharris]

I just bought my first batch of chia seeds also. I put about a tablespoon on my salad tonight. They remind of poppy seeds.

Do you put on the entire serving size? Do you break it into different meals? And is it okay to eat more than one serving?

Also I was Maca but it was rather expensive. A question about Maca is can I put it in a scoop in my coffee + my flavored creamer?

 

[banslug]

I recently posted a question concerning Kombucha....keep us/me posted on how you like the GTs version/variety, ok? I haven't had a chance to pick any up myself yet, but I did buy a green tea w/ kombucha. And I have yet to try chia...still working my way thru my flax.

 

[fitme40]

I went to Bob's Red Mill website last night and they have a lot of great recipes for their products. There's one for lemon chia seed bread that looks yummy. I'm hoping it will taste like lemon poppy seed bread. I'm going to try to make it later today. I had my DH taste my kombucha yesterday afternoon and thought he may like it because he loves beer. Wrong...he thought it was disgusting For the sake of good health, I'm going to keep trying little sips here and there.

Laura

 

[Stebby]

Kombucha, ick. Tastes like drinking vinegar to me. Nasty stuff.

Stebby

 

[MidgetDogg]

I toss chia seeds in my oatmeal and salads. Also put them in yogurt. They have no taste, so put them anywhere, really.

 

[MelanieC]

So what are the health benefits of chia seeds?

 

[kathryn]

So what are the health benefits of chia seeds?

All the benefits of flax, but they are easier to digest (no grinding needed), are more stable (no refrigeration required), and don't have some of the drawbacks of flax. (Do a search on "chia flax" and you'll find more info). Chia also absorbs about 7x it's weight in fluids, so it's touted as good for keeping hydrated (IF you take it with enough fluids. If not, it can actually be dehydrating).

I put chia seeds in my pre-workout smoothies (about 1/2 tsp or so: just make sure to drink right away, or it will thicken, but then it becomes like a smoothie pudding). I've also used it to thicken sauces (like the sauce on a persimmon-pomegranate salad, made with o.j. and agave, but a bit runny).

Chia gel can be made with 1 pts chia to about 6-7 parts water. Stir, let sit 10 minutes, stir again, and after another 10 minutes, it's ready to add into just about anything (mixing it with water will keep it from dehydrating you).

 

[elsie3]

I just bought my first batch of chia seeds also. I put about a tablespoon on my salad tonight. They remind of poppy seeds.

Do you put on the entire serving size? Do you break it into different meals? And is it okay to eat more than one serving?

Also I was Maca but it was rather expensive. A question about Maca is can I put it in a scoop in my coffee + my flavored creamer?

I tried Maca powder today in my Bengal Spice herb tea--it was pretty good.


Chia seed pudding is my favorite:

1 C almond milk
1/4 C chia seeds
1 packet Stevia (my almond milk is unsweetened)

Stir chia seeds into the milk. Mix well. Mix again in about 5 minutes. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat. I usually make mine the night before and eat it for breakfast. I mix in a diced banana before eating--YUM!

 

[kathryn]

Chia seed pudding is my favorite:

1 C almond milk
1/4 C chia seeds
1 packet Stevia (my almond milk is unsweetened)

Stir chia seeds into the milk. Mix well. Mix again in about 5 minutes. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat. I usually make mine the night before and eat it for breakfast. I mix in a diced banana before eating--YUM!

Sounds yummy!
I'd add a dash of vanilla extract.
I've got some raw almonds at home: I should whip up a batch of almond milk (or almond-brazil nut, my favorite) and make this tomorrow.

 

[elsie3]

Sounds yummy!
I'd add a dash of vanilla extract.
I've got some raw almonds at home: I should whip up a batch of almond milk (or almond-brazil nut, my favorite) and make this tomorrow.

Definitely add the vanilla. I forgot to mention that--thanks.

 

[acarolinagurl]

That sounds yummy! Do the chia seeds cause a person to retain water weight? I need to research this one.

 

[jharris]

I mixed a tsp of seeds into my scrambled egg this morning. I'm not sure how they make a person dehydrated, but I'm continuing to research them. And look for ways to use them.

Jenn

 

[kathryn]

I forgot: you can make a cereal mixing together chia seeds, hemp seeds a pinch of salt and sprouted buckwheat (soak raw buckwheat a few hours, then rinse 2x/day for 1-2 days. On the final rinse, make sure the water runs clear, as buckwheat creates a weird slimy goo when soaked. Then dehydrate the buckwheat, or just let air dry after the last rinse).

Mix whatever proportions you prefer: I usually like about 2 parts buckwheat to 1 part each chia and hemp.

Use 1-2 Tbsp per serving. Add milk of choice (I like homemade almond-brazil nut milk), stir, let sit about 5 minutes ,stir again, let sit another 5-10 minutes, and you have something with a texture similar to oatmeal (the chia absobs some of the liquid to do this).

I add dried wild blueberries, and sometimes chopped nuts.

(You can buy a ready-made cereal that has the same ingredients, but costs a lot more than homemade!: https://www.ruthshempfoods.com/chia.html )