This chia seed porridge recipe, with its oats, fruit, seeds and nuts, is not only packed full of goodness but is absolutely delicious and simple to make.
This is an exceptionally simple recipe for chia seed porridge and can be made the night before and put in the fridge, thus saving you valuable time the following day. You would add the fruit, nuts and seeds of your choice in the morning. A perfect balanced breakfast for all the family, which will sustain them until at least lunch time.
Table of Contents
Recipe – 1 serving
- 15ml chia seeds
- 90ml steel cut organic oats
- small handful organic raisins
- juice of one orange + a little water
- 3 or 4 fruits of your choice
- 15ml chopped nuts of your choice
- 15ml seeds – sunflower, pumpkin and sesame
- Sweetner of your choice (optional) – stevia, honey, agave syrup
- cinnamon – optional
- Put the chia seeds, oats and raisins in a bowl.
- Juice 1 orange and add water until you have 150 – 200 mls of liquid. The amount really depends on how thick you like your porridge.
- Add to the chia seed mixture and leave to soak up the liquid. A minimum of 10 minutes is recommended but overnight is better. Note that the chia seeds go into a gel when soaked.
- Stir your mixture.
- Add sweetner, if you are using one.
- Sprinkle the nuts and seeds onto the mixture and stir.
- Add the chopped fruits of your choice – blueberries, strawberries and banana ae divine.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Enjoy it!
Chia Seeds – History
Mesoamerica was renowned for its healthy crops – maize, amaranth, beans and chia. There is archaeological evidence which shows that chia was grown in this area as early as 3500 BC. The Aztecs used chia seeds as a food and beverage. They also used chia in medicine and pressed the seeds for oil. The Aztecs considered chia seeds to be more valuable than gold.
‘Chia’ means ‘strength’ in Mayan. The seeds are now being rediscovered for their amazing nutitritional value and they really are an ancient superfood.
Nutritional Value
Chia is higher in omega-3 than flax seed. It has a ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 of 3-2; this makes it a wonderful anti-inflammatory. For those people who cannot take fish oils, chia is a great alternative. Chia seeds contain pure and soluble fibre, which makes them excellent weight loss food. This fibre is soothing to the digestive system and is therefore ideal for people with digestive problems.
Chia is also excellent for stabilising blood sugar levels, as it slows down the release of sugars into the bloodstream. It is a food which gives you sustained energy and helps to keep the body hydrated due to its ability to absorb at least 10 times its volume in water.
Chia seeds are packed with antioxidants, essential fats, protein, vitamins and minerals and, the added bonus is that they are not expensive like a lot of other superfoods.
