Chia

I spent the past week hanging out with about 751 teens at a state-wide youth leadership conference.  The focus of the conference is to learn about careers and potential college majors.  I co-taught a class with a fellow youth development co-worker, and we experimented with Chia.

Chia is a grain, but not any ordinary grain.  It is a super grain!  Doesn't that sound like some sorta super hero music should start playing?  Anyway, this grain has excellent fiber and great omega 3 content -- plus a bucketful of more healthy attributes.  The grain absorbs 3 times its weight in water, and makes an excellent fat substitute in baked products.

The teens tried the grain - dried - in yogurt smoothies.  They loved the crunch, and had a healthy snack for the day too!  Did you know that women need about 25 grams of fiber each day, men should have 35 grams of fiber per day?  This is important stuff, I tell ya!

This picture features our class dietician telling some of our adult assistants about Chia benefits.  Mix it in with your fruit spread for a healthy sandwich, put it on ice cream as a crunchy topping or even try it on your salad.  It does not have a taste, but it has a powerful crunch!