My parents (a financial planner + a bankruptcy paralegal) raised me to be extremely frugal and so one of the things I CANNOT STAND is wasted food. It's also terrible that the earth produces all of the resources to feed every single person on earth (GO EARTH!!) if we weren't so bad at resource allocation and waste. We try our hardest not to throw food away, so I start acting like a madwoman when I see that something is nearing expiration because we MUST USE IT ALL UP IMMEDIATELY. (We experienced this with almond meal last month so we ate a lot of grain-free muffins.)
CHIA SEEDS are extremely nutrient dense, full of fiber, protein, Omega 3s, calcium (great source for vegans!), manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, B vitamins, potassium, and antioxidants. They're extremely versatile and can be added to tons of dishes, beverages, and desserts.
I noticed that our chia seeds were expiring and so my mission was to use them up in a week. Here's our 7 days of chia (click for recipe or ingredients listed if no recipe.):
Day 1: Chia Energy Bites<-Day 2: Chickpea and Beet Bowl with Cilantro Chia Pesto
Chickpeas and red onion sautéed in olive oil + turmeric, spiralized beets, and pesto (cilantro, olive oil, parmesan, chia, spirulina, salt + pepper)
Day 3: Chia and Fruit Smoothie ->
Frozen strawberries, pineapple or banana, almond milk, 1 tsp. honey, 2 tbsp. chia seeds, 1 tbsp. hemp seeds - blend! (find reusable straws here.)
<- Day 4: Chia and Spirulina Popcorn
Chia, spirulina, nutritional yeast, salt & pepper - blend in food processor and mix with popcorn as seasoning. Superfood popcorn!
Day 5: Chia Fruit Leather (AKA natural fruit roll ups) ->blend 4 cups strawberries with 3 tbsp. chia, pour into baking sheet and cook 3-4 hrs @ 220 degrees. cut into strips.
Day 6: Gluten Free Chia Pancakes<-Day 7: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chia Pudding
CHIA OUT.
