Recently I have been hearing a lot about chia seeds in health magazines and blogs that I follow. These tiny seeds are becoming very popular among the health community. Chia seeds are incredibly nutrient dense, containing omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium; and are naturally gluten free.

Apparently there are over 80 different strains of chia seeds and Salba Chia is the cream of the crop. Salba Chia is the richest whole food source of Omega-3 fatty acids and fiber found in nature on a gram for gram basis. Every 15g serving of Salba provides over 3,400 mg of Omega-3s (500 mg is the recommended daily intake) and 5 g of dietary fiber (21% of the daily recommended intake).

Gram for gram, Salba Chia has six times more calcium than whole milk, three times more iron than spinach, and fifteen times more magnesium than broccoli. It is all-natural, has no trans fat, is gluten free, has almost no carbohydrates, and is a whole food. Finally, Salba Chia is Non-GMO Project Verified.

When I received my samples from Salba Chia, I was excited to finally figure out what all the fuss was about! I received both the whole seeds and ground chia, which I found out can be used interchangeably in almost any dish.

After a little research and experimenting, I tried chia seeds in a few different ways.

Below are some useful tips and ideas for using chia seeds.

1. As an Egg Substitute: Mix 1 tablespoon whole chia with Ľ cup water. I made brownies using Salba Chia instead of eggs and no one could taste the difference!
2. I topped my favorite frittata recipe with chia seeds. This gave the frittata a slightly nutty and crunchy texture. You could even add the ground or whole chia seeds to the eggs before cooking.
3. My coworker is a big tea drinker and inspired the idea of adding the ground chia seed to my morning tea, to give me an extra boost for the long workday.
4. Enhance muffins, breads, cookies, pie crusts, and other baked goods. Adding chia will make your baked goods more nutritious.
5. Another idea for baking is to substitute ? of the flour in your recipe with ground Salba.
6. Today I topped my salad with whole chia seeds, which not only added the same nutty and crunchy texture as in #2, but also tons of protein to my lunch. You can even mix the seeds right to your favorite salad dressing!
7. Lately I’ve really been into making juices and smoothies. Adding the ground chia into smoothies works much better than the juice and makes me feel even more energized!
8. Next time I make homemade granola bars I am going to add the chia seeds to the recipe and replace some of the other grain-based ingredients, such as oats.
9. Sprinkle chia seeds over yogurt or ice cream.
10. When chia seeds are added to liquid they form a gel, thus making a great substitute to thicken gravy and sauces.

There are so many more ways to incorporate chia seeds into your diet– add them to rice dishes and trail mixes, or spread them onto a sandwich.

Salba Chia would love to introduce you to their products and they are offering one lucky winner the same samples that I received!

To enter, first “Like” Gluten Free Boston Girl on Facebook  and also “Like” Salba Chia on Facebook. Then in the comments section below, tell me how you would use chia seeds.

You get a bonus entry for tweeting about the giveaway. “Enter to win the @SalbaSmart Salba Chia seeds giveaway via @gfbostongirl http://wp.me/p2NwI2-Gk”

Open to U.S. residents only. The Giveaway will end at 11:59pm ET on July 7th.

Disclaimer: I received these products for free to sample and review for my blog.  I was not paid for my review and all opinions are my own.

Tags:  Baking, Dairy Free, Giveaway, nut free, Product Review, seeds, Snack, Vegan, vegetarian