This is a delicious, healthy and quick smoothie to get you up and going in the morning. To save time, prepare the chia seeds and oats the night before.
This is a recipe for a dairy free chia seed smoothie. You can prepare enough chia seed gel in orange juice to last you a few days – it will keep well in the fridge. You can also grind a large batch of oats to keep you going for a couple of weeks, and keep them in a sealed container.
Table of Contents
Chia Seed Breakfast Smoothie – Serves 2
- 1 tbsp of chia seeds
- 3 oranges – juiced
- 4 tbsp of ground steel cut oats
- 2 bananas
- frozen berries – 2 large handfuls
- frozen pineapple – 1 large handful
- mint leaves
- Soak the chia seeds in the orange juice for at least 10 minutes. They will swell, soak up all the liquid, and form a gel. You can keep the mixture in the fridge for around 3 days. If you prefer, you can grind the chia seeds in a coffee grinder but it isn’t necessary, as it is with flax seed.
- Grind the oats to a fine powder in a coffee grinder.
- Put all the ingredients into the blender and turn on.
- You may need to add some water or orange juice – depending on how juicy your oranges are, and how thick you like your smoothie.
- Garnish with mint leaves and drink immediately.
This recipe forms the basis of a breakfast chia seed smoothie. The fruits can be changed to suit your taste and seasonal availability.
Chia Seeds and Nutrition
Chia seeds are little powerhouses of goodness. Contained in a 28g portion is 9% of your daily protein requirement – and it is a complete protein. Chia seeds are low in cholesterol and sodium and an excellent source of calcium and boron, which acts as a catalyst for calcium.
They are also high in phosphorus and manganese. They contain exceptionally high levels of omega 3 oil, and also contain omega 6 oils, and are therefore ideal for people who don’t enjoy fish or flax.
Chia seed gel radically slows down the conversation of carbohydrates into sugars. This means you never experience a sudden drop in sugar levels and reach for that chocolate bar, which is great news for dieters and diabetics. Chia seeds are low in calories and are extremely affordable, unlike a lot of superfoods.
The Aztecs ate chia seeds. It was the main component of the Aztec army’s diet, as it was easy to transport and you only needed a small amount each day to survive. Archaeologists have found evidence of the cultivation of chia seeds as far back as 3000 BC.
