Protein Bars as a meal supplement?

[kathryn]

Slightly off topic: Kathryn re: chia seeds. Is there any benefit to grinding them into meal/powder like you would flax seeds? Or are we capable of digesting all the chia goodness from the seeds themselves? I've been using them in my shakes and was wondering about this...

Good news!

Chia seeds don't need to be ground like flax, as they are digestible as-is. They are, however, easiest to digest if they're added to liquid to make chia get (put bout a Tbsp of the seeds in about 2 cups of water, stir well, let sit 10 minutes--optionally stirring again and letting sit 10 more minutes-- and add that gel to other foods).

Also, they are so high in antioxidants that they don't go rancid the way flax does, so don't need to be refrigerated/frozen as flax seeds should be (two reasons why I think they are superior to flax).

Also, I find that grinding them and adding them to things actually can produce a less-desirable texture. Sometimes a bit more 'mucusy' than 'gel' or 'tapioca'-like. (I made the mistake of grinding them before trying to make a pudding with them, and the resultatant goo was not very appealing!)

 

[mspina]

Good news!

Chia seeds don't need to be ground like flax, as they are digestible as-is. They are, however, easiest to digest if they're added to liquid to make chia get (put bout a Tbsp of the seeds in about 2 cups of water, stir well, let sit 10 minutes--optionally stirring again and letting sit 10 more minutes-- and add that gel to other foods).

Also, they are so high in antioxidants that they don't go rancid the way flax does, so don't need to be refrigerated/frozen as flax seeds should be (two reasons why I think they are superior to flax).

Also, I find that grinding them and adding them to things actually can produce a less-desirable texture. Sometimes a bit more 'mucusy' than 'gel' or 'tapioca'-like. (I made the mistake of grinding them before trying to make a pudding with them, and the resultatant goo was not very appealing!)

Thanks Kathryn!!!! Yes, the gel is pretty cool - I'm glad to hear I'm good to go as is. And glad that I didn't try to grind them and recreate your goo experiment. LOL!!!

 

[dani21496]

Thanks so much, everyone!