Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Homemade Granola with Chia Seeds

Today I am giving you my recipe for homemade granola with Chia Seeds.  Chia seeds are a fun way to get some good nutrition in your diet.  There is very little effort involved with eating Chia seeds, but the health benefits that come with them are huge.  If you are interested in making your own granola, you might also want to check out how to make home-made Greek Yogurt to go with it.  With some homemade Greek Yogurt and Chia Seed Granola...I think you can conquer anything.


Before I get to the recipe...here's a fun thing to do with Chia Seeds:  After letting them hydrate for 10 minutes in water (you could probably use juice and it'd be delicious), add a dash of lime juice and enjoy a refreshing...kinda slimy beverage.    Make sure to shake or stir well until your Chia sides are appropriately gooey or you could have a large lump waiting for you to consume.  If you are my Sister though, you might like a mighty lump of Chia Seeds considering she likes those boba drinks.  shudder 

You could also...

Add to your morning oatmeal for a healthy addition that your kids won't even notice. 

Add to yogurt. 

Add to meat loaf. 

Add to bread dough, cookie dough, muffins, cupcakes, pancakes or waffles. 

Add to scrambled eggs or omelets. 

Add to mashed potatoes. 

Add to salad dressings or any kind of dip or sauces.


Well, here's the recipe for Homemade granola with Chia seeds.  I hope you enjoy!

Homemade Granola with Chia Seeds

3 C. Old Fashioned oats
1 C. Slivered Almonds
1 C. Chia Seeds
3/4 C. Coconut (You can use either sweetened or Non...I used non-sweetened coconut)
3/4 C. Honey
1/4 C. Vegetable Oil
3/4 tsp. Salt
1 C. Dried Fruit of your choice (I used peaches)

Preheat oven to 250 F.
In large bowl mix all dry ingredients except dried fruit and salt.
In Small bowl mix honey, vegetable oil and salt.
Add wet mix to dry mix and stir well.
Place granola on two cookie sheets and bake for 1 hour.  Stirring every 15 minutes or so to promote even browning.
When done, place in bowl, add dried fruit and mix well.

Consume in any way you can think of.
Granny Square Pic of the Day



Here are some fun and interesting facts on Chia Seeds..and why you want to eat them...They are native to Mexico and were a staple for the Aztecs and Mayas. Get ready to learn something because we got info coming out of our ears today!

-Chia Seeds have more polyunsaturated fats than any other crop.
-Why are polyunsaturated fats important?

-Chia Seeds contain 60% Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
-Why are Omega 3 Fatty Acids important?

-Chia Seeds have more protein than other grains. More importantly, Chia Seeds are a complete protein. So unlike getting your protein from beans where you also need something like rice to make it a complete protein, Chia Seeds are complete with all the essential amino acids.
-Why is protein important?

-Chia seeds are high in fiber.
-Why is fiber important?

-Chia seeds are rich in Calcium.
-Why is Calcium important?

-Chia Seeds have almost as much potassium as a banana
-Why is Potassium important?

-Chia seeds have 3 times the amount of antioxidants are blueberries.
-Why are Antioxidants important?

Chia Seeds hold 10 times their weight in water. They form a sort of gel that is tasteless. A fun thing to do is put a couple of Tbl. in a glass of water and just let it sit for 10 minutes to several hours. Next , add the gelled Chia Seeds to a smoothy or fruit drink for a fun and nutritious supplement.
-Why is hydration important?

-Chia seeds help to curb sugar cravings.
-Why is this important? If you feel full longer and the need to eat carbs or sugar diminishes, it will help with weight loss and your blood sugar levels.


Chia Seeds hold 10 times their weight in water. They form a sort of gel that is tasteless. A fun thing to do is put a couple of Tbl. in a glass of water and just let it sit for 10 minutes to several hours. Next , add the gelled Chia Seeds to a smoothy or fruit drink for a fun and nutritious supplement.
-Why is hydration important?

-Chia seeds help to curb sugar cravings.
-Why is this important? If you feel full longer and the need to eat carbs or sugar diminishes, it will help with weight loss and your blood sugar levels.

Thanks for reading!!  Now go and make some granola with Chia seeds...you will be glad that you did.
Heather

1 comment:

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