Real Food Wednesday: Tasty Chia Fresca

Everyone remembers the commercials–”Ch-ch-ch-chia!” I always wanted one, but somehow they just didn’t look quite as cool in the store as they did on TV (or when someone got one at as a random Christmas present). I didn’t think much of them other than a made-for-tv marketing product. Chia is just fancy grass that grows quickly, right? Wrong!

Chia has been around long before Chia Pets (and Heads) were marketed with that catchy jingle. They grow like crazy in southern Mexico, where the local people have long heralded the benefits of the seeds. Chia seeds are actually an amazing source of omega-3 fatty acids–even more so than flax seeds. They’re also chock-full of magnesium, calcium, and other nutrients. Best of all: they’re easy to mix into things like batter, smoothies and yogurt, and they have an amazing shelf life (unlike flax seeds, which go rancid after stored for long periods of time).

Although it might seem like they’re just a trendy health item, chia seeds are actually a very traditional food. When Columbus arrived in the Americas, chia was one of the four main Aztec crops. The Aztecs considered it a superfood and the Mayan warriors considered it a favorite strength booster (Chia actually means “strength” in the Mayan language).

You can get chia seeds from Raw Reform or in most supermarkets and health stores from Spectrum Essentials. I had a package of seeds in my pantry that I’d been adding to smoothies and yogurt, when I came across this recipe from from Christine at Welcome to My Brain. Chia Fresca is made mainly in Mexico and South America, where the people love how refreshing and energizing it is. Luckily, there’s no reason you can’t make it at home with a few simple ingredients.

The first step is to make the chia “gel.” It’s simple: just combine 1/3 cup of chia seeds with 2 cups of filtered water. Store in your fridge in a closed container (I put mine in a mason jar with a lid). It’s best to let it sit for 2-3 hours so that it can fully gel.

Chia gel will last for about 3 weeks and tastes like whatever you mix it with. It really has no taste on its own so it’s great to mix with dressings, juice, water, etc. Or you can make it into a tasty, refreshing drink:

Chia Fresca

Grab a tall glass and put a few teaspoons of fresh lemon juice in it (I usually use the juice of one lemon, but you can adjust to your sour preference). Next, fill it 1/3 of the way with chia gel. Add some ice and a pinch of stevia (or sugar) and fill the rest of the glass with water. Stir, drink, and enjoy!

It’s like lemonade, but sooo much better for you! You can also use lime juice, orange juice, etc.–it’s great with any citrus. It helps to use a straw so that you can stir it up every now and then (and get all the chia goodness).