Nutrition Adventures : Chia Seed Meatloaf

After doing a presentation on Chia seeds it's time to cook with them.

Chia seeds are a good source of fiber, Omega-3's, and surprisingly calcium. For 1 ounce there are 11 grams fiber, 9 grams fat (only 1 of which is saturated), and 18% of the calcium in the day. Ounce for ounce chia seeds have more protein and fiber than quinoa.

Chia seeds are considered an "ancient grain" like quinoa. Lately it's been pegged as a super food because Dr. Oz said it was. Outside of Dr. Oz's support chia seeds are pretty cool! They have a 9 to 1 ratio for water...rice is 2 to 1. If you cook rice regularly that's pretty insane to think about. This means they absorb a lot of water. The seeds themselves become very jelly when added to liquids.

You can add chia seeds to almost anything. Most internet sites say to add it to smoothies, juice, yogurt, and to sprinkle it on top of anything.

The only warning I would have is if you're new to chia sees and want to try them add them slowly. As one ounce has about half the fiber recommended in a day you may have some, uh, intestinal discomfort. Additionally folks with diverticulitis may want to avoid chia as well. I checked several sites with mixed opinions from experts so I imagine it's a trial by error for such individuals.

The recipe: Chia Seed Meatloaf

Way more interesting than a smoothie!

Just mix all the ingredients together and bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. I personally like making "mini" loaves so you can freeze them. Since I'm one person and admitting to eating 1 pound of turkey in a short period outside of thanksgiving freaks me out.

So much chia!

This was my first time making meatloaf and it was really good! I thought adding tons of chia seeds would change the texture/composition of the meatloaf but it didn't. If anything the meatloaf was lighter than meatloaf I've had in the past.