Ch-Ch-Ch-CHIA!

You know you totally remember those Chia pet commercials from back in the day. We all wanted one, but most of our parents dismissed them as a "waste of money" that we "wouldn't take care of." My cousins were the only real people I knew who actually had a Chia Pet. I don't recall exactly what (or who) their Chia pet was, but I think it was just a dude who grew the infamous grass hair. I was jealous, but I'm sure mine would not have ever prospered, as I am not one who can keep a plant alive.

A few years ago I heard buzz of people consuming Chia seeds, which totally weirded me out, because all I could imagine was an orange clay Garfield head, growing grassy hair. After a while I got past this, and read up on the nutritional value. Looks like Chia seeds aren't just for growing grass...they are a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, fiber, antioxidants, protein, calcium, and other good stuff. Since I'm trying to expand my horizons when it comes to my diet, I figured, why not hop on the Chia bandwagon and incorporate them into some of my smoothies.

I kinda had an idea of what would happen when I prepared my beverage, but wasn't 100% sure of the end result. When my smoothie was done blending, I discovered I had made more of a pudding, or a mega-thick shake, rather than a juice of smoothie. The Chia seeds absorbed the liquid and made the drink almost gel like but not in a freaky-bad way, like I am making it sound. My husband described it as tapioca-esque, but since tapioca isn't something I've ever consumed, I couldn't agree or disagree.  What I can say is that after drinking half of the "smoothie" I was full. The Chia seeds made me feel full much faster than usual, so I saved the 2nd half of my smoothie for later (like when I got my late night craving for something chocolaty.) I chose to make the smoothie below because it included Nutella, and everything with Nutella is delish. Give it a whirl..see what you think. In case you are wondering, my mega bag of Chia seeds, and mega jar of Nutella came from Costco. (Everyone needs a mega jar of Nutella in the pantry!!)


Coconut Chia Smoothie

2 C. Coconut Milk
1/3 C. Chia Seeds
1/4 C. Shredded Coconut
3 Tbsp. Nutella
1 frozen banana

Combine all ingredients in blender, in order listed, and blend for 35-40 seconds, or until desired consistency is reached.

I had some immediately after preparation, and some later, after chilling in the refrigerator. I think the chilled version was better.