Wednesday, December 19, 2012

10 Super Healthy Foods- #7 Chia Seeds


Remember chia pets? If you were around at all in the 90's you know what I'm talking about, those little clay animals (or rappers, if you went to that link), that grew green "hair," which was really chia sprouts.

Well, did you know chia seeds are actually an incredibly healthy snack? A single tablespoon of these healthy seeds can have up to 5 grams of fiber, which is about double what flaxseed contains.

That same tablespoon of chia seeds also contains about two and a half grams of alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, a long chain omega-3 fat, which is very healthful for your heart. Again, this is more than flaxseed contains. It sounds like I'm trying to bash flaxseeds more than anything, but I'm just honestly surprised that chia seeds are such a nutrition powerhouse.

Chia seeds don't really taste like much, so it's easy to add them to your regular foods. Pop them in the blender with a smoothie. Stir them into a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Sprinkle some on the top of a salad. Add them to a yogurt based fruit parfait. The possibilities are endless. Hell, you could just munch a handful of them every now and then as you go about your day.

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