Chia seeds

Chia pizza - yum

I recently bought a packet of chia seeds from the supermarket. There has been a bit of hype about them being a super food and really good for you so I thought I would see if I could easily add them into my daughter's diet.

Chia seeds are part of the mint family and rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as providing protein, fibre, and some essential minerals (phosphorus, manganese, calcium, potassium and sodium). More information is available at Wikipedia or just Google it.

So far I have added them to pizza dough and scones (not GF ones though yet). Apparently they go well in salads to add a bit of crunch. For the pizza dough, I just added about 1/4 tsp to the single serve.

On the packet of seeds it also tells you how to make Chia gel, which you can use to replace eggs, oil and/or butter. Combine 1 part Chia Seeds to 9 parts water and whisk to blend the seeds. Stand for 15mins and then whisk again. Put into airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Pretty cool! Will try it soon.

Edit 22 October 2011 - I recently read that people who were allergic to nuts could be sensitive to chia seeds. So please be cautious if you/your child have nut allergies. I am glad I read it because it explained my son's eczema that had strangely returned. We had been eating a loaf of bread with chai seeds in it that week.