Black Chia Seeds making Vegetarian Diets All the More Popular

Thanks to increased health consciousness in the contemporary society, popularity of vegetarian diet is on the rise. Vegetarian diets are rich in nutrition and easy for our system to assimilate and digest. Non-vegetarian items like meat and fish have excessive proportion of protein, which is hard for our body to digest. Thus, to stay fitter and healthier, an increasing number of folks are consciously switching over to vegetarian dietary omitting fish, meat, and egg. In this changed scenario, demand for black chia seeds is steadily rising in the market.

Growing prominence

The seeds are typically oval in shape and small in size. Usually, these are of one millimeter diameter. It is overwhelmingly popular in Latin America, particularly in Mexico. Demand for these seeds packed with nutrients is steadily rising across north America, as well as other parts of the world. It is perhaps relevant mentioning here that according to the US Food and Drug Administration, these seeds are safe for human consumption.

In popular culture

Since the historic times, these seeds have been one of the staple diets for both the Mayan and the Aztecan people down the ages. In fact, there are lots of evidence to prove the popularity of this vegetarian food item among the indigenous community in America even long after Columbus set his foot on the new world.

Appearance and dimension

According to botanists, the plant is a member of the mint family, having the scientific name Salvia Hispanica. Interestingly, the name itself is derived from the Nahuati word chian, which means ‘oily’. The plant is actually a annual herb, which grows approximately about 1.75 metres or 5.7 feet in length. Interestingly, the seeds have the capability to absorb water and hence, these are hydrophilic in nature. A tiny seed usually absorbs about 10 to 12 times of its weight of any liquid when soaked in it. Thus, when these are soaked, the seeds form a gel-like texture.

Nutritional advantage

The chia seeds are a wonderful gift of nature, as these are packed with nutritional values. Amazingly, just an ounce or 28 grams of the seeds are found to contain

• 11 grams of fibre  

• 4 grams protein

• 9 grams lipid (including 5 grams of the essential Omega 3s)

• An array of vital metals including Calcium, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc and others

In addition to the nutrients mentioned above, the food substance is rich in vitamin B1 (Thiamine), vitamin B2 and Vitamin B3 (Niacin) as well. To put it in alternate words, the same quantity of these seeds that is mentioned above provides 137 calories of energy and 1 gram of digestible carbohydrate.

Consumption

There are several ways to consume this nutritious food. It can be soaked in water and then eaten raw. Moreover, some people prefer it in salads. However, one can put it in sandwiches and other dishes as well. On grinding the seeds, one can use the dust in preparing porridges, puddings, and pinoles. Moreover, grinded black chia seeds can furthermore be used in baking breads, cakes, and biscuits.