Debbie Dooly

Chia is high in essential nutrients, gluten-free, 100 percent natural, and easy to use. No wonder it’s gaining in popularity worldwide! These tiny black and white seeds are becoming a staple on more and more people’s shopping lists thanks to their many health benefits.

Kids can be tough customers to please, and when you’re trying to get them to eat healthy, any tricks that boost the healthy foods in their diets are welcome! That’s where chia seeds can lend a helping hand. Because cha is high in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein, and many vitamins and minerals, if you can get your children to include chia in their daily diets, you’re on the right road to healthy eating.

Tossing some chia seeds into whatever you’re eating is a wonderful way to boost the nutritional value of your meals. The seeds are tiny and have virtually no flavor, but they’re brimming with nutrients! So, you can simply add chia seeds to your meals to gain numerous health benefits, without altering the flavor of your favorite foods.

Athletes were some of the first people to use chia as an aid to their sporting efforts. Triathletes and ultra-marathoners in particular followed in the footsteps of extreme runner Christopher McDougall, who wrote the book Born to Run, in which he touts chia as being the fuel that kept him and the Tarahumara Indians running for more than 100 miles at a time.

Chia contains all four of the major nutrients needed for brain function. Eating plenty of chia can go a long way toward supporting the nutritional requirements of your brain in conjunction with a good balanced diet. Eating well is just as important for your mental health as it is for your physical health. The brain needs nutrients to function just like the rest of your body does.

Food labels are great, but they can’t possibly tell you everything. There is so much more to chia than can fit on a typical food label! The vitamins and minerals found in chia that are not listed on the label provide great health benefits to your body and are well worth noting. Here are the most common and important vitamins and minerals that chia offers but that may not be listed on the Nutrition Facts label: Vitamin B1 (thiamin): Thiamin is one of eight B vitamins, all of which help the body convert food into energy.

Chia seeds are certainly unique. They're highly nutritious and good for your health, but there is so much more to these tiny seeds that not everyone knows. Here are some of the lesser known facts about chia that you may be surprised to discover: Chia was used as an endurance food by ancient tribes. The Aztecs, Mayans, and other ancient tribes all used chia to sustain themselves in battles and on long running and hunting expeditions.

Puddings are a popular way to use chia — you can find recipes for chia puddings all over the Internet. Why are chia puddings so popular? Because chia seeds can absorb up to ten times their weight in water, so when they’re mixed with liquid, they form a gel that has a consistency like tapioca — perfect for puddings!

The ancient tribes of South America used chia as one of their staple crops. Chia originated in Mexico and Guatemala, where it grew well. The Aztecs and Mayan cultures farmed the crops because of the many benefits to their health, but one of the main reasons they used chia was for its ability to help with endurance.