What is the difference between black and white chia seeds? How do you eat them? And which seeds are the best?
What are chia seeds?
Chia seeds come from Salvia hispanica, a plant that is native to Mexico and Guatemala. The seeds love water and will soak up 12 times their weight. When combined with water, their shells become mucilaginous. Whilst this gel like coating is not to everybody’s taste, it does make it an amazingly effective digestive healer. The combination of high amounts of protein, insoluble fibre combined with this mucilaginous coating makes it an ideal food for people managing their diabetes through diet as it reduces glucose spikes. The seeds that come from Salvia hispanica are black in colour.
The white or golden seeds come from the plant, Salvia columbariae. They are called chia because they are traditionally used in the same way as a food and medicine by the Native Americans. It’s found in California, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.
Nutritional benefits of chia seeds
Chia seeds are a protein powerhorse and they have the added benefit of being rich in omega-3 fats. They are also abundant in the B vitamins and contain a number of key minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc. Whilst the black seeds have slightly more protein and the white seeds have slightly more linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid omega-3 oils; the difference between the two is so small that it really comes down to personal preference.
Raspberry Chia Protein Pudding Recipe
I’d love to send you my recipe.
It’s healthy so you can eat it for breakfast or as a snack as well. The recipe includes almond milk but I’ve also added a nut-free option.
