Chia seeds are deemed to be one of the world’s most effective and highly nutritious superfoods. These tiny seeds had been a staple diet for many ancient civilizations like Aztecs and Mayans and are derived from a plant of the mint family, known as Salvia hispanica.
Being packed with high-quality dietary fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, as well as essential micronutrients like calcium and magnesium, there are plenty of health benefits of chia seeds that work collectively towards your long-term health.
Even if your goal is to just shed some excess pounds from your body, you can rely on chia seeds for weight loss.
Moreover, chia seeds are quite versatile to be used as a superfood. You can easily add chia seeds for weight loss in your daily meals
Let’s have a quick look at the nutritional values of chia seeds in accordance with 1 ounce of chia seeds, which is approximately 28 grams or 2 tsp.
- Calories – 138g
- Protein – 4.7g
- Carbs – 11.9g
- Fat – 8.7g
- Alpha-linolenic acid – 5g
- fiber – 9.8g
Micronutrients Value (% Daily Value or DV)
- Calcium – 14%
- Iron – 12%
- Magnesium – 23%
- Phosphorus – 20%
- Zinc – 12%
- Vitamin B1 – 15%
- Vitamin B3 – 16%
How Does Chia Seeds Help You Lose Weight?
The health properties of chia seeds are widely praised by health experts worldwide.
However, when it comes to the effectiveness of chia seeds for weight loss, people sometimes get a bit skeptical of this.
A study conducted with 24 participants revealed that when yogurt was eaten as breakfast having around 7-14g of chia seeds mixed, it led to substantial decrease in the overall meal intake as well a simultaneous increase in stomach fullness during that period.
Chia seeds help you lose weight because of their exceptional nutritional values and the high amount of fiber and protein that comes with every 1 ounce of chia seed serving.
Here’s how adding chia seeds to your diet can help you lose weight:
- High Content of Soluble fiber:
Chia seeds are considered quite effective for weight loss due to their high dietary fiber content.
1 ounce or 28g of chia seeds will give you 9.8g of high-quality dietary fiber. It amounts to around 35-40% of the overall weight of chia seeds.
The fiber molecules in chia seeds settle down in the stomach and expand in size upon absorbing water close to around 10-12% of their overall weight.
Water-absorbed fibers slow down the digestion process which helps the person feel stomach fullness and less hungry during the weight loss process.
Moreover, these expanded fibers also prevent blood sugar level spikes by slowing down the absorption of carbs and sugar molecules.
Due to this slowdown, the urge to have high-caloric or any snacking food does not arise and you can stay within your daily caloric intake even while feeling full on your stomach.
- Protein
If you are following a vegetarian or vegan diet, then using chia seeds in your meals to lose weight will help you hit your daily protein intake.
You will get close to 4.7g of high-quality protein packed with all nine amino acids for every 1 ounce (28 g) of chia seeds, which means around 2.3 grams of protein in 1 tsp of chia seeds.
When protein molecules break down in the stomach, it reduces the level of ghrelin, which is a hunger hormone.
Simultaneously, it also creates a spike in the production of peptide YY (PYY) and GLP-1. Both these hormones are satiety hormones.
- Low-Caloric
The best part about eating chia seeds for weight loss is that it will make you feel satiated even with low caloric consumption.
1 ounce (28 g) of chia seeds have only 138 calories.
Even with such a low caloric value, having chia seeds will provide your body with a decent amount of micro as well as macronutrients.
Yet another reason to eat chia seeds for weight loss!
- Rich in Antioxidants
The benefits of chia seed for weight loss are not just limited to marco values.
Chia seeds are also rich in antioxidants like quercetin, kaempferol, and caffeic acid.
They assist in fat loss by reducing inflammation that is linked with improving the metabolic function of the body.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
These acids in chia seeds play a vital role in reducing fat by increasing the rate at which the body oxidizes the excess fat.
Having closely studied why using chia seeds for weight loss is effective, now let’s delve into some easy and healthy recipes that you can prepare with chia seeds at your home.
5 Recipes with Chia Seeds for Weight Loss
- Chia Pudding
The most obvious benefit of having chia pudding is that it lets you kill those uncontrolled sweet cravings without feeling any sort of guilt.
Steal this tasty and easy-to-make chia pudding recipe:
- Mix around 2 tsp of chia seeds with the choice of your milk (Use almond milk for chia pudding to get the best taste)
- Add around 1 tsp of honey and ½ tsp of vanilla extract.
- You can also season it with a pinch of pink salt
- Stir the mixture well and put in the refrigerator overnight after covering it.
- Take it out and top it with crunchy nuts and dry fruits of your choice. You can also top it with a tsp of nut butter.
The overall chia seed pudding protein content will also be enhanced with milk and nuts.
A Must-try recipe if you are using chia seeds for weight loss and want to try something new!.
- Chia Seeds Banana Almond Smoothie
This smoothie recipe with chia seeds for weight loss can also be used for a post-workout meal.
- Slice 2 bananas and put them in a jar having 1 cup of fat-free skimmed milk (ideal during weight loss)
- Mix around 2 tsp of chia seeds
- Add some finely chopped nuts and dry fruits
- Pour 1 tsp of vanilla extract into it
- Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon powder to enhance its taste and aroma
- Blend the ingredients until it becomes a thick smoothie
- Drizzle the smoothie with some honey and top with chopped strawberries.
Enjoy this amazing and heartful chia seed beverage!
- Chia Seed Oatmeal
A satiating breakfast recipe using chia seeds for weight loss:
- Take 40 g of rolled oats in a pan and toss them on a slow flame with 2 tsp of chia seeds
- Pour around 1 cup of skimmed milk into the pan
- Stir it continuously until the oats start to absorb the milk and become soft
- Now empty this mixture into a bowl
- Add some nuts and dry fruits to bring a crunch element to it
- Add 1 banana and ½ apple to it once the milk has cooled down a bit
- Top it with berries of your choice to make it even more tempting and full of flavors
- A drizzle of honey for that sweetness
Your filling and yummy chia seeds oatmeal is ready. Eat it slowly to enjoy its flavors with every bite.
- Chia Seeds Fruit Salad
A must-have snack if you feel any hunger cravings in the evening.
- Put around 2 tsp of chia seeds in ½ cup of orange juice
- Mix it for around 2-3 minutes so that it gets into a gel-like consistency
- Take fresh fruits of your choice and cut them randomly in a big bowl
- Now add the paste of orange juice and chia seeds to this fruit bowl
- Add ½ tsp of fresh yogurt to coat the fruits
- Mix all the ingredients in bowl
- Drizzle some honey and season it with cinnamon powder
- Chia Seed Water
Not a recipe though, but quite an effective and easy way to use chia seeds with water during weight loss
- Add around 2 tsp of Chia seeds to 1 Jar of water
- To make this chia drink a bit refreshing, add some chopped mint leaves and a small piece of ginger to it
- Now leave this jar of water undisturbed overnight
- Your chia water is ready to be used in the morning for the day to be followed
Even if you forget to leave chia seeds soaked in water overnight, no issues!
Just put some chia seeds in water for around 15-20 minutes and you can consume it before your meals to improve your metabolism.
Here are a few other benefits of having chia seed water:
- Keep the body and the gut dehydrated during weight loss
- Enhance the digestion process
- Boosts Energy and helps in sustaining
- Improves heart heart
- Promotes clear skin
So, if you were eating raw chia seeds for weight loss and had gotten a bit used to with that taste, then try these amazing recipes that can be prepared easily.
How many Chia Seeds can I have in one day?
You have got some super tasty and easy-to-make recipes with chia seeds for weight loss.
Moving further, your next anticipated question could be “how many chia seeds a day?” is medically recommended.
Well, the daily recommended safe consumption of chia seeds is around 15g – 25g.
In a nutshell, do not consume more than 2 tsp of chia seeds, no matter whether you are using chia seeds for weight loss or just to enhance your health.
Are there any side effects of Chia Seeds?
Over consumption of chia seeds is indeed linked to causing some digestive issues.
One of the most major issues linked with over consumption of chia seeds could be that it can cause bloating and other digestive issues due to its high fiber content.
People already dealing with gastrointestinal disorders can experience improper digestion due to the expanded fiber molecules in the stomach upon overconsumption of chia seeds.
Conclusion
Chia seed is indeed a superfood that is packed with high-quality dietary fiber, omega 3 as well as other micronutrients.
Adding chia seeds to your diet can help you to lose weight with its exceptional nutritional composition and low caloric count.
You can try out these amazing recipes with chia seeds for weight loss:
- Chia seeds Pudding
- Chia seeds Banana smoothie
- Chia seeds Oatmeal
- Chia seeds Fruit Salad
- Chia water
Just keep in mind not to consume more than 2 tsp of chia seeds in a day to avoid dealing with any sort of digestive issues or bloating.
