Why We Love Chia Seeds

The tiny little Chia Seed is so powerful and good for our skin. With between 50-70% a-linolenic acid (Omega 3) and 12-26% linoleic acid (Omega 6) they are a great way to boost your Essential Fatty Acid levels. Remember the more Omega 3 and Omega 6 in your diet, the stronger your barrier function is and the more support your cell membrane receives.

They are super easy to add into your daily routine, just remember to soak them first (at least 10mins) to get the best of them (you can soak them in a small amount of water, milk, plant milks etc). Add them to your smoothies, cereal, raw juices or add them to baking (they make a good egg replacer).

Here are some recipes that contain Chia Seeds that we are loving at the moment.

Chia Pudding

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons chia seeds

• 1 Cup almond milk or other plant milk

• ½ Tablespoon maple syrup, honey or sweetener of choice*

• ¼ Teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

• Toppings of choice: fresh berries or other fruit, nuts or seeds

In a bowl or mason jar, stir together chia seeds, milk, maple syrup and vanilla, if using. If you’re using a mason jar, you can put the lid on and shake the mixture to combine everything.

Once the chia pudding mixture is well combined, let it sit for 5 minutes, give it another stir/shake to break up any clumps of chia seeds, cover and put the mixture in the fridge to “set" for 1-2 hours or overnight. The chia pudding should be nice and thick, not liquidy. If it's not thick enough, just add more chia seeds (about 1 Tablespoon), stir and refrigerate for another 30 minutes or so.

Chia pudding can be stored for up to 5-7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Seeded Crackers

Ingredients 

• ½ Cup Sunflower Seeds

• ½ Cup Pumpkin Seeds

• ¼ Cup Sesame Seeds

• ¼ Cup Poppy Seeds

• ¼ Cup Linseed

• ¼ Cup Chia Seeds

• ½ Tsp Salt

• 1 Cup Water

• Pinch Sea Sal to Sprinkle

1) Heat oven to 170C. Place all the seeds and the salt in a bowl, pour in water and mix to combine. Leave for 15 minutes for the chia and flax seeds to soften and bind everything together.

2) Tip out on to a baking paper-lined oven tray and spread out as thin as possible (around 4mm thick) and sprinkle with some flaky sea salt. Bake for 30 minutes.

3) Remove from the oven and slice into crackers, then return to the oven to cook for another 20-30 minutes until crisp and golden. Remove to a rack to cool then store in an airtight container.

Enjoy x