Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

Chia

Browsing
Food

Are Basil Seeds the New Chia Seeds?

In Asia, basil seeds have long been used in drinks and desserts. Now chia-like seeds are also being discovered in the western world.

Now that basil has become an integral part of our kitchen, its seeds are now being served on the plate or in the glass! Similar to chia seeds, basil seeds soaked in water expand up to 30 times their volume and also develop the jelly-like consistency that we know from chia seeds.

How do basil seeds taste?

Unlike the basil plant, basil seeds taste neutral to slightly nutty. They are used in foods to give structure and not flavor. That is why they are also used in fruit desserts such as Falooda in Asia. In Asia, basil seeds are also called “Sabja Seeds”.

Are Basil Seeds Healthy?

Due to their strong swelling properties, basil seeds ensure long-lasting satiety. Therefore, they can have a supportive effect if you want to lose weight.

Basil seeds have long been used in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). They are said to have a cooling and soothing effect on colds and nervous tension. The seeds are also used to treat skin inflammation and digestive problems.

How can I use basil seeds?

In principle, you can use basil seeds like chia seeds, i.e. as a kind of pudding. Practical: Basil seeds swell much faster than chia seeds.

Keep Reading
By
Cooking Tips

Superfood Chia Seeds with Recipe Ideas

Many are already using the small black granules. But what properties do chia seeds actually have and are they rightly worthy of being called a superfood?

Origin and Origin of Chia Seeds

The granules already existed in the times of the Aztecs and Mayas and were already incorporated into the diet more than 5000 years ago as so-called pseudo-cereals. Chia seeds, which belong to the sage family, have been used for centuries because of their filling properties. The Spaniards brought these seeds to Europe in the 15th century, but by then they were not used as often and were quickly forgotten.

Top reasons to include chia seeds in your diet

  1. The granules contain many good nutrients, including iron, copper, zinc, calcium, and magnesium. From other sources, it is said that the seeds have hormone-regulating, muscle-healing, or immune-building effects.
  2. Due to their satiating effect, they can be taken in combination with other foods due to their neutral taste. This makes you feel full faster and can help you lose weight as well.
  3. There are 8 essential amino acids in the black grains. They also contain about twice as much protein as you think of other grains or seeds.
  4. They can be kept airtight for several years, great to keep. The antioxidants contained in them allow the seeds to stay fresh without losing the flavor in any way.
  5. The superfood can cleanse the intestines and thus support the entire digestion process. Heartburn can also be prevented by swelling the seeds.
  6. When you eat chia seeds, you absorb a lot of water if you soak them first. The body can store this water efficiently and even after consumption, the swelling process of the seeds means that there is nothing heavy in the stomach.
  7. People with gluten intolerance can also use chia seeds. As a gluten-free alternative, it offers a lot of protein, which is also essential for athletes or other people who value a high protein intake.

Recommended consumption of Chia seeds

A maximum intake of 15 g per day is recommended. All the essential nutrients are absorbed just by consuming this amount. The seeds can be used in jams, mixed into muesli, in smoothies, bread, pancakes, ice cream, or yogurt. There are no limits to creativity here. Also as an egg substitute with the addition of almond, rice, or another milk or milk alternative, the seeds can be exchanged for the regular egg in recipes. How do I use the seeds correctly?

The chia pudding

This superfood recipe is probably the most well-known to date.
For 2 servings you need: 4 tbsp chia seeds, 250 ml milk/alternative, any spices and sweeteners

  1. In a bowl, the seeds are mixed with the milk
  2. Place in the fridge for about 2 hours, stirring every now and then
  3. If necessary, refine the chia pudding with the spices and the sweetener before eating and enjoy

The power avocado smoothie

For 2 servings you need: 2 bananas, 500 ml milk/alternative, ½ avocado, 2 tablespoons chia seeds, 2 teaspoons matcha powder, and possibly a pinch of cinnamon

  1. Remove the peel from the avocado and the bananas and cut into small pieces
  2. Now everything can be put in a blender and et voilá you have a fresh and fruity power smoothie

Chia seeds in chocolate pudding

For 2 servings you need: 2 tbsp chia seeds, 4 chopped dates, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, ¾ cup milk/alternative, possibly some vanilla

  1. Soak the dates in a little water for a few minutes
  2. Now you can mix all the ingredients together and the result is a creamy, chocolatey, healthy pudding

The black chia seed granules are popular and can be used individually. They are healthy, provide many good, essential nutrients, and are also great for losing weight. Try it out on the little seeds too. you will love it!

Keep Reading
By
Food

Chia Seeds: Superfood or Super Hype?

Chia seeds contain a lot of protein, unsaturated fatty acids and minerals. But how healthy is the superfood really and what effect does it have?

There are many legends surrounding chia seeds, some of them more than 5,000 years old, some of them from recent years. According to the old legends, the “gold of the Aztecs” is said to have helped them in their conquests. Two spoons of chia seeds gave a soldier strength for the whole day and provided him with all the necessary nutrients.

This legend gave today’s athletes the idea of ​​using the seeds of the chia plant as a silver bullet and as a source of energy before competitions. Hobby athletes soon discovered the pseudo grain for themselves and American businessmen “doped” themselves before strenuous business appointments with the grains, which today mostly come from Mexico and some other South and Central American countries.

Gradually, the insider tip went mainstream and chia seeds became a hip must-have in the kitchen. With a high content of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, protein and minerals, the grains are said to be real health miracles. Is that true, or is superfood more like fool’s gold?

Chia seeds: basic facts and botany

The name of the chia plant is derived from the Aztec language and refers to the high oil content of the seeds (“chian” means “oily”). Strictly speaking, however, chia seeds are not seeds at all, but so-called Klausen – parts of a decaying fruit, each of which carries a seed.

Klausen is often found in mint plants, which include the chia plant as a sage species. In terms of nutritional physiology, chia seeds are classified as oilseeds due to their high fat content. The blue-flowering, annual, herbaceous plant originally comes from Mexico, but is now cultivated in several South American countries and in Australia.

The plant does not tolerate waterlogging and can therefore only be grown in regions where rainfall is relatively low. In Europe, Chia plants are only occasionally cultivated in the sunny south of Spain.

Ingredients, nutritional values ​​and calories of chia seeds

Two tablespoons are said to give energy for the whole day – this suggests a very high-energy food. In fact, 100g of chia seeds contain 440kcal, most of it from fat (about 35%), the rest from carbohydrates (about 45%). Since the fats are almost exclusively unsaturated omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, the energy density of the small grains is less of a problem.

The seed can also score points when it comes to the protein content, which at around 22% is higher than, for example, salmon. When it comes to vitamins and minerals, oilseeds are also at the forefront: chia seeds are rich in magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E, vitamin A and C, and niacin.

The power grains thus provide some important nutrients that are otherwise usually only found in meat or animal products – important especially for vegan diets. In addition, the cloves of the chia plant also provide many antioxidants, which are said to have a health-promoting effect.

What effect does the superfood have?

The ingredients of chia seeds suggest that the grains have a very positive effect on health. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, for example, are good for cholesterol levels and can lower blood pressure.

A high proportion of fiber also fills you up faster, which is why chia seeds can help with a diet. In addition, the grains are also a power snack for athletes, just like the Aztecs might have done back then.

Since these are pseudo-cereals, anyone with gluten intolerance or an allergy to nuts, soy proteins or similar can breathe easy: Chia seeds do not contain any of these components. An allergy-triggering effect is therefore not yet known. So far at least the advertising promises of the manufacturers.

However, none of these positive effects have been proven in scientific studies so far. These are only effects that could probably occur due to the ingredients – if they were tested, then only in the laboratory, so the results cannot be transferred to humans.

Chia seeds: few studies, little experience

The seeds of the chia plant have only been approved as food in the EU since 2013. Before that, they were only allowed to be included in processed products up to a maximum of five percent. For example, chia seeds have been added to bread and pastries or muesli mixes as a healthy bonus.

However, the EFSA, the European Authority for Food Safety, set the recommended consumption to a maximum of 15 grams (2 tablespoons full) per day – the reasoning was that there were no studies and empirical values ​​over a longer period of time.

The enthusiastic reports on the effect of the alleged superfood that can be found on the Internet are therefore largely not scientific studies, but rather reports of individual people’s experiences. And taken by themselves, they don’t mean much.

In addition, with the small amount recommended for consumption, the effect of the chia seeds will naturally be low, despite all the nutrients they contain. In order to achieve a measurable medical effect at all, the subjects in the few studies conducted had to be given a significantly larger amount. And even then, only possibilities could be identified, but no concrete evidence of the effect.

Proper preparation of chia seeds

Yes, how do you eat them “correctly”, the miracle seeds of the chia plant? When eating, you should always keep in mind that chia seeds, like flaxseeds, swell a lot or rather convert part of their proteins into a kind of jelly. Therefore, they should always be taken with liquid.

However, it is best to soak the chia seeds if you want to eat them plain. Put in a glass overnight with at least twice the amount of water (e.g. one spoonful of chia seeds, two spoonfuls of water, preferably more) and you get a chia jelly that is virtually tasteless and can be easily metabolized.

Soaking is not necessary if the chia seeds are to end up in muesli or cornflakes for breakfast. Since these are usually eaten with milk, milk substitute or juice, sufficient liquid is provided. Also popular as a real power breakfast are chia seeds stirred into yoghurt, either soaked or straight from the pack.

Recipes with chia seeds

Chia seeds are tasteless and therefore go well with almost all other ingredients. As pseudo-cereals, they can be used almost like wheat, rye and the like.

However, because the oilseeds are gluten-free, a dough cannot be made with flour made from chia seeds alone. Due to the lack of adhesive protein, it would simply melt. Usually only part of the flour, for example for bread, is replaced by chia seeds.

For other recipes, the chia jelly must first be made by soaking. The finished jelly can be processed into a smoothie with berries, for example.

But other fruits and vegetables can also be processed with the grain into one of the popular cold drinks. This is perfect, especially when it is hot – which is why, in the region of origin, chia seeds are mixed with “Iskate” fruit or vegetable juice, a type of natural energy drink. And for fans of all things sweet, jam with chia seeds is always a good idea.

Keep Reading
By