5 Of The Best Chia Seed Foods You Need In Your Life

Unsplash/Sebastian Leon Prado

We’ve all been wondering the same thing — are the chia seeds you see in health food stores the same chia seeds that make Chia Pets? The answer is yes, but this doesn’t mean a chia pet will grow in your stomach when you eat them.

Chia pet seeds sprout into microgreens, which you can then mix into salads or layer in sandwiches. Prior to sprouting, though, chia seeds themselves are packed with health benefits. They’re even considered one of the best superfoods out there, thanks to their hefty dose of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants and calcium. In honor of National Chia Day, here are five of the best chia seed foods you need in your life.

1. Chia Yogurt

A post shared by GREEK YOGURT + CHIA (@epicseed) on Feb 5, 2018 at 9:12am PST

Greek yogurt is filling enough on its own thanks to its protein punch, but when chia seeds are added to the mix, you give yourself an extra energy boost as well. One chia yogurt in particular, The Epic Seed, has 15 grams of protein in each container. And between the yogurt and the chia seeds, you’re getting plenty of calcium, Omega-3s, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and antioxidants. The Epic Seed yogurt comes in flavors like coconut, blackberry, blueberry, peach, strawberry and vanilla.

2. Chia Protein Bar

A post shared by Health Warrior Superfoods (@healthwarrior) on Feb 6, 2018 at 7:29am PST

Eating chia seeds in bar form is pretty convenient when you’re going for a hike (or on the go, in general) and you need an energy boost. One of our favorites is the line of Health Warrior chia bars. Each one of these bars is vegan, non-GMO and gluten-free with 110 calories, 4 grams of protein, 1100 milligrams of Omega-3s and 3 grams of protein. These bars come in flavors like Dragonfruit, Acai Berry, Apple Cinnamon, Banana Nut, Coconut and Caramel Sea Salt.

3. Chia Kombucha

A post shared by GT’s Kombucha (@gtskombucha) on Nov 24, 2017 at 12:37pm PST

When it comes to kombucha, there are brands you can always look to for consistency, like GT’s Living Foods. GT’s Kombucha comes in a ton of flavor varieties, but one that stands out is the line of chia kombucha. Part of GT’s Synergy line, the chia kombucha comes in six varieties: Cherry Chia, Grape Chia, Raspberry Chia, Black Chia, Ginger Chia and Green Chia. With a combination of kombucha and chia, you’re loading up on beneficial bacteria, fiber, protein and a ton of other vitamins and minerals.

4. Chia Probiotic

A post shared by Prana (@pranabio) on Mar 4, 2016 at 12:35pm PST

For an easy probiotic and chia combination that you can add to any kind of cold recipe, Prana Organic ProactivChia is ideal. In each 3-tablespoon serving, there are 5 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids along with fiber, calcium and two live probiotic strains. You can add the powder to anything from smoothies to yogurts to salad dressings. Just keep in mind that you can’t heat it up because the cooking process kills all of the live beneficial bacteria in probiotics.

5. Chia Granola

A post shared by purely_elizabeth (@purely_elizabeth) on Sep 22, 2017 at 8:37am PDT

In the world of granola, Purely Elizabeth ranks as one of the best with all organic, non-GMO and vegan ingredients. The Ancient Grain Granola line combines oats with superfood seeds like chia, dried fruit, raw virgin coconut oil and coconut sugar. The popular Pumpkin Cinnamon flavor is made with gluten-free oats, coconut sugar, raw virgin coconut oil, raw pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, puffed amaranth, millet flakes, quinoa flakes, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt. You can add this superfood granola to just about anything.