With a plethora of health benefits, chia seeds are fast becoming a popular addition to any nutritious diet.

These seeds not only add fiber and calcium to your diet, but they can also provide new meal options.

Meal Ideas

Easy Snacks

• Eat raw and add to a trail mix
• Add to apple juice to thicken it (you can also add lemon juice for a little more flavor)
• Mix into yogurt with fruit and nuts
• Add to soup or stew to thicken it
• Add to milk (regular, soy or almond) to make a pudding
• Add to smoothies for more thickness
• Sprinkle over salad
• Add to granola

Breakfast

• Soak seeds in milk and add to hot oatmeal
• Grind seeds and add to hot milk to create a nutritious porridge
• Grind seeds and mix with cinnamon and butter to create a delicious spread for scones and other pastries
• Grind seeds and mix with flour, milk and eggs to make pancakes

Lunch/Dinner

• Stir seeds with cooked lentils, or add to a stir fry
• Cook brown rice in vegetable stock and mix in seeds once cooked
• Grind seeds and mix with ground beef to make meatballs
• Soak white seeds in milk and mix with mashed potatoes

Desserts

• Mix seeds with pureed fruit and fruit juice to create a wonderful topping for ice cream and baked goods
• Grind seeds and add to bread mixture
• Add whole seeds to cookie or cake batter
• Soak 1 tbsp of seeds in 1/4 cup of water and use as an egg substitute for baking cookies and cakes

Source: ChiaSeedRecipes.com