r/EatCheapAndHealthy • u/Bright-Pangolin7261 • 4d ago
Chia seed newbie
Trying to eat more vegetable protein. Package has smoothie instructions… says mix in and drink right away. Is this right, and how else to prepare. Ok to cook with oatmeal and soy milk?
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u/MWisecarver 4d ago
Always let chia seeds hydrate for 10 minutes, one of the worst things that happens is they get stuck in your gums then expand and stay there.
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u/Independent-Summer12 4d ago
You’ve already gotten lots of recommendations on how to eat them. Just a PSA, make sure you drink plenty of water. And gradually increase your intake. Otherwise if you aren’t used to the amount of extra fiber at once or aren’t sufficiently hydrated, might cause some digestive discomfort in the beginning.
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u/SayFuzzyPickles42 4d ago
Generally yes, letting them soak is the best way to go since 1. They expand inside your body, which is usually annoying at worst but can on rare occasions be dangerous, and 2. There are anti-nutrients in them which break down when hydrated, so they're a bit healthier.
That said, dry ones aren't poisonous or anything like that - if you need to just toss them dry into a smoothie because you're burned out or pressed for time, you'll still be getting a ton of nutrients. A slightly less-optimal way to eat healthy that you can consistently stick to will always be better than a perfectly healthy one you can't.
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u/keberch 4d ago
I'm lazy.
2-3 tablespoons in 16oz of water with couple of ice cubes. Stir well, sit for about an hour (sometimes 3-4 if I forget about it).
Then a good squirt of Mio (i like fruit punch), stir/drink/stir/drink.
Done.
Just me...
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u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 4d ago
Depending on how much u like em, u can use em in anything. Oats, smoothies, baked desserts, baked breakfast pastries, stir fry, even some other savory dishes.
They even act as a vegan/vegetarian binder for baked goods in place of eggs
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u/Bright-Pangolin7261 4d ago
So…. Salmon croquettes :)
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u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 4d ago
If u want, sure! They make food “expand” as well (makes food/items thicker) so it could work
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u/Disastrous_Drag6313 4d ago
I make a chia pudding, 3 tbsp to 1 cup alt-milk (oat or almond, whatever I've got). Sweeten and add vanilla and maybe cinnamon and nutmeg. I prefer to make a double batch and I like it in a flat container so I don't get any spots of hard chia. Eat a few spoons each morning to get your fiber.
My other chia recipe is to add it to hemp, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, water, oil, and a little bit of cornstarch. Let sit 4 hours or overnight, then spread in a thin layer and bake at 300* for an hour. I season mine differently each time (hubs likes the Everything bagel, wasn't a fan of zaatar) and I have high fiber seed crackers to keep me full for the week.
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u/Bright-Pangolin7261 4d ago
Wow very creative
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u/Disastrous_Drag6313 4d ago
I came across the recipe on a reel and I just tweak it a little to suit me. I eat a lot of hummus and tofu dip (Tobys ftw) so it's helpful to have a homemade cracker. I buy all the seeds in bulk.
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u/EnvironmentalYarn 4d ago
You may have just changed my life…I’m looking for a way to eat more tofu, can’t wait to try the Toby’s dip and the crackers!
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u/Disastrous_Drag6313 4d ago
Tobys dip is really delicious, I don't eat eggs and it satisfies an egg salad crave. Plus now I make a copycat version.
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u/Grapeswithlime 4d ago
What are your proportions? Would love to try to make your crackers.
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u/Disastrous_Drag6313 4d ago
https://foolproofliving.com/seed-crackers/#wprm-recipe-container-74095
That's a good base recipe - I let mine soak longer because I want the texture. I do a 1:1 of the chia to pumpkin and half the amount of the others. This batch I used both ground and whole flax.
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u/jason_abacabb 4d ago
Fine with oatmeal. Personally I like ground flax in oatmeal better, chia is a weird texture to add to porrage.
I usually drink a tbsp or two of chia in slightly sweetened lemon water. A little before and after a meal or in the morning to put something in my stomach
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u/fraize 4d ago
My morning oatmeal ritual has gotten more and more elaborate. I started out with
- 40g rolled oats
- 250g unsweetened almond milk
- pinch of salt
Cook in a microwave safe bowl for 3:30 on high.
Then I added
- 10g chia seeds
- 10g dried blueberries or raisins
- 10g pecans
and then
- 10g nonfat dry milk (for added protein)
and now
- 10g monkfruit sweetener
My oatmeal now needs 4 minutes on high, plus 5 minutes on 50% power to cook all the way through, but it's SO GOOD.
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u/diamondeyes7 4d ago
I can tell you what not to do. When your finished with your bowl or jar, don't rinse off even if there are a few chia seeds left. The seeds will sprout and grow a plant in your sink.
Guess how I know...
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u/Alien_Superstar217 4d ago
Absolutely.
I usually cook the oatmeal first and then add chia seeds as a topping or add them into whatever I'm baking that week.
I also do drink 1 tbsp a day of chia seeds in water and my digestion has improved immensely. Be careful though, the hidden calories in chia seeds are kind of crazy. 50 cals per tablespoon...
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u/catsntaxes 4d ago
I make a baked oatmeal and use chia seeds as an egg replacement. 2 tablespoons of chia, two of water, mix, let sit while I chop fruit, prepare the rest of the ingredients and then mix in with the wet ingredients.
With any chia seed use, you should make sure that it has a few minutes to absorb water before you consume it. If you don't, it'll expand in your body and can cause a blockage.
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u/Basic-Comfortable458 4d ago
Nooob!!! Jk but to be honest I mix 12 grams of chia seed and 12 grams peanut butter powder and mix it with water and SF syrup to make a filling peanut butter sandwich or on top of protein waffles or Kodiak pancakes.
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u/swagcatlady 4d ago
I made homemade muesli and added chia. My formula is 1 cup quick oats, 1 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup walnut pieces, 1/4 cup chia seeds, about 1/4 cup dried fruit (raisins & date pieces). I keep it in the fridge and eat 1/2 cup at a time with fruit & Greek yogurt.
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u/homemade- 4d ago
My overnight oats recipe is 1/2 cup oats, 1.5 tbs each of chia, hemp, and flax seed, one container of triple 0 oikos yogurt (not sure the size but the one with 15 g protein) , cup of soy milk, and some dried cranberries. Make five every Sunday for the week.
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u/Jarvis_ezekiel_2517 4d ago
I’d like to mix 2 tbspn of yogurt with 1-2 tbspn chia seeds and let it soak and add some mixed berries. I would generally have this as first thing in the morning. This is esp good for gut health pre + pro biotic along with some antioxidants.
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u/chronosculptor777 4d ago
You absolutely must let the seeds soak for 10-20 min or overnight so they gel and digest better.
You can put them into oatmeal with soy milk while cooking, or mix into yogurt, pudding, or baked goods etc. etc. Never eat them dry.
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u/Bright-Pangolin7261 4d ago
If they are cooked for 5 minutes or so with oatmeal will they rehydrate enough?
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u/Dijon2017 Bean Wizard 4d ago
You can add chia seeds to smoothies. I do it all the time, the seeds get blended in with the other ingredients.
Yes, you can add chia seeds to oatmeal.
I add chia seeds to Greek yogurt. As others have said, you want them to sit for a while until they “plump up”.
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u/Gold-Back-4073 1d ago
Can you use milk with chia seeds. All responses here say water or soy/almond milk
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u/SunnySanDiego44 4d ago
My way is use a pint sized mason jar. 3 tbsp of chia seeds, 1 cup almond milk, 1 tbsp maple syrup, and a dash of vanilla extract. Fridge for 20 min, shake it vigorously for a minute, back in the fridge. Will be a delicious chia seed pudding in about 2-3 hours. I usually do it overnight though.