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Feeding Kids Healthy Foods: Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are fun and easy to add to foods. They’re nutritious, and a great source of fiber!

Click to read also: Kid Friendly Smoothies – No Sugar Added

How to eat chia seeds - so nutritious, and easy to use!

My sister Cat introduced me to Chia seeds (affiliate link), and I have really enjoyed playing with this newly-popular superfood! My favorite thing to do with them is to combine them with juice, just like you find in the Mamma Chia squeeze packs (or bottles – it’s the same thing in different packaging – this is also an affiliate link). These are really easy to make!

Feeding kids chia seeds - a great superfood that is easy to use!

An Easy Way to Use Chia Seeds

Take some seeds, add juice, and let sit. The Chia seeds absorb the liquid, and also thicken it up a little bit. You don’t need a lot of chia seeds, but the more you add the thicker the juice will be – to the point of becoming pudding-like. One tablespoon of chia seeds has five grams of fiber, three grams of protein, and two and a half grams of Omega 3s. Pretty incredible!

Homemade Chia pudding at mamasmiles.com

This particular chia seed concoction was very thick, partly because the juice I used was thick and partly because I put so many chia seeds in. It wound up as a solid chia pudding consistency, and while I liked it all right, I tend to like “super healthy tasting” foods. The kids and Mike prefer more juice with fewer seeds. To get the kind of consistency you find in Mamma Chia packs, I find that it works best to soak the seeds in some plain water first – just a little – and then to add juice. That seems to create a nicer texture; I’m not sure why. You can also blend chia seeds into smoothies. They will pack the same nutritional punch, but are pretty much tasteless. They do thicken up smoothies quite a bit, so be prepared for that!

Have you tried chia seeds? How do you like to eat them?

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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.

31 thoughts on “Feeding Kids Healthy Foods: Chia Seeds”

  1. Yum! I’ve been using chia seeds for a couple of years now, but never with juice! Its so obvious now that you share it — thanks!

  2. I sprinkle them over peanut butter toast. It’s crunchy but not gelled so if you don’t like the texture of them with juice this is a great boost. You can also sprinkle it on a salad.

  3. Wow. There were a lot of great ideas in the comments. I have never tried chia in a drink before but have thought of adding it to smoothies so maybe the kids and I will give it a try today. I add chia to soups and most often to baked goods. Great way to add health benefits easily. I’ll have to try the juice idea too. Do you think it would work in coconut milk? If it sets up like a pudding that would be a great tasting pudding! Maybe a little dot of almond or vanilla flavor?

  4. I make chia cubes to add to broth, soup or chilli. (Water and chia seeds frozen in an ice cube tray.) You let the chia and water sit out until a gel has been created, then freeze. I plop a couple cubes into anything I want to boost up!

    1. The texture is somewhat similar to flax seeds, but less slippery and more crunchy. These remind me of very tiny tapioca balls with the way they feel once added to a liquid. They have very little flavor.

  5. Elisa | blissfulE

    I had no idea you could soak and drink chia seeds! We grind them up with flax seeds as a topping for the kids’ daily yogurt.

    1. What a great yogurt topping – I should try them that way. Thanks for the idea! Chia seeds added to liquid remind me of the tapioca balls you sometimes get in drinks – but a very tiny version.

  6. I’ve never heard of these before! Sounds like they have some great benefits to them. I’ll have to look in our Health Market the next time we’re at the store.

  7. I have been using Chia seeds for awhile now. You can add them to pretty much anything. I add chia to soup, oatmeal, and salad, to just name a few. I even have a small container filled with chia seeds, so when I’m eating out I can add some chia to my meal. I’m always looking for ways to add protein to help make what we are eating healthier.

  8. They are really great for helping kids avoid constipation, and the juice with chia seeds is drinkable through straws. I like them best mixed with grape juice. :-)

    1. Mixed with grape juice is the most popular version here as well! Although, yesterday Meg told me that they are great in lemonade, so I need to try that now.

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