How to Make Chia Fresca

Are you guys into chia seeds? They seem to be the health food darling of 2013 (see you on the way down, quinoa!) and so they're getting a lot of hype lately. They're actually super healthy and have a ton of great things in their tiny little selves, like fiber, omega 3s, protein and probably snippets of unicorn tails and leprechaun beards (friendly leprechauns only, of course) since they're so special. 

I want to eat them. I do. Yes, they are the same chia seeds that are used for Chia Pets. Yes, that makes it harder to eat them. That's not just me, right? I generally go for food that isn't otherwise used as decorative hair on a Scooby Doo knick-knack. I just have a thing about it. I also know that people were eating chia seeds way before the Chia Pets people invented "The Pottery That Grows!" - as if literally anyone was asking for that. I've tried chia pudding which tastes okay, but also looks like the lumpy, wet trail a swamp creature might leave behind.

So now I'm all about Chia Fresca, a refreshing, summery drink that allows me to get a serving of chia seeds down my throat without having to think about it. I actually enjoy them now! You should probably make this too:

WHAT YOU NEED

Chia Seeds  //  Sweetener (optional)  //  Lemon or Lime Juice  //  Water  //  Container with a Lid

HOW TO MAKE IT

Put 1.5 teaspoons of chia seeds in your container.

Add 12 oz. of cold water to the container. 

Let the chia seeds sit in the water for about 10 minutes. This lets them absorb the water and plump up in an interesting and/or creepy fashion, depending on your perspective.

Put the lid on your container and shake it up well. The chia seeds have a tendency to clump and either sit on the bottom or rise to the top. You want them to be evenly distributed so it's easier to drink.

You'll see at this point that soaking has caused the chia seeds to grow a gelatinous outer layer. Yum! JK, that's totally gross, but it will help you drink them without getting the chia seeds stuck in your throat. This is what allows them to easily slide through a straw and into your body to give you nutrients without you ever having to think about the actual seeds themselves. If you are "a normal" this might not matter for you, but I need all the help I can get to ingest things that look weird to me.

PRO TIP: Try NOT to think about how much this looks like tadpoles!

Take the lid off and add about 1 tablespoon of lime juice.

Next, add sweetener to taste. I used about a teaspoon.

Just stir it around, add some ice cubes and sip away! Enjoy your polka dotted water. This is also supposed to be a natural energy drink, but it didn't do anything for me in that regard. I'm difficult, though.

Do you like chia seeds? Would you drink water filled with them? I promise it's not as weird as it looks or sounds. And it's certainly not as weird as this. 

xoxo,
Michelle