The latest food trend is quite gelatinous: chia seeds. You can be forgiven for only knowing chia seeds from the iconic "Chia Pet" which was such a fad in the early 90s. Chia seeds are having their day in the sun, but I have to admit, this is a trend that I cannot get behind.
Chia seeds look a bit like large poppy seeds, and are popular for a lot of reasons. Dieters like them because they help you feel full, and ensure that you get more hydration. This is because of an unusual property of the chia seed: it can absorb up to ten times its weight in water.
(Legend has it that the Mayans used chia seeds as fuel for long-distance endurance running. I suspect they probably did, but as a source of hydration, not nutrition.)
Chia seeds are also a rich source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which are hard to find in plant form. This makes chia seeds an excellent addition to the diets of vegans and vegetarians. (And everyone, really. We could all probably use some more omega-3s in our lives.) They are also rich in calcium and antioxidants, and do not have any gluten.
Dr. Oz called them "miracle seeds" and "one of the healthiest things around," and recommends dieters eat several tablespoons of them a day to help curb snacking and feel full. But personally I just can't deal with them. When they swell up with water, they kind of turn into this weird mucilaginous gelatin. And it is a hideous shade of gray, like pudding made out of cement mix. It makes me shudder to think of it.
On the up side, this weird slime can be good for thickening things. It works well in smoothies, for example. (Or so people say. I will stick with using a banana in my smoothies, thanks.)
Image courtesy Flickr/ljguitar
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