How to Eat Chia Seeds for Diabetes: 8 Different Ways You Can Make Your Chia Meal Interesting + 3 Delicious Recipes using Chia Seeds (2020)

07/03/2022 Newest

Chia seeds are called superfoods for the numerous nutrients they come packed with, providing several benefits to our body. And they are said to be even better for people with diabetes. If you want to include chia seeds in your diet as a person with diabetes, here are some interesting ways you can do the same and create a fantastic combination of health+tasty right in your kitchen! Read on to know how to eat chia seeds for diabetes.

Table of contents

Eating Chia Seeds for Diabetes: A Superfood with Lots of Benefits
Eating Chia Seeds For Diabetes: 8 Easy Ways You Can Eat Daily
3 Great Chia Recipes for Diabetes

Eating Chia Seeds for Diabetes: A Superfood with Lots of Benefits

Chia seeds have been around for ages but have gained popularity very recently. Chia is known for its health benefits. It comes from a plant known as Salvia hispanica, a close relative of the mint family. Chia gets its name from the Aztec word 'chain' which means oily because chia seeds are packed with oils. It is said that Aztec runners took chia seeds to keep their energy going when they ran for miles delivering messages.

Chia is loaded with omega 3 fats and antioxidants. Eating chia seeds is highly beneficial for our health as they provide us with high levels of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. They play a major role in controlling diabetes, as well. Chia slows the glucose passage in the blood, and the fiber in chia seeds helps prevent blood sugar spikes. It is also an excellent anti-inflammatory agent, therefore, works effectively in diabetes management

If you have diabetes and your doctor has advised keeping an eye on the things you eat, you should start eating chia seeds. There are many ways of including chia seeds in your diet. They have a nutty flavor and mix well with almost everything. We have researched well to bring you different ways of using chia seeds in various food items and keep your diabetes in check.

Eating Chia Seeds For Diabetes: 8 Easy Ways You Can Eat Daily

Salads with Chia

Eating a plate of salad every day can do a lot of good for a person. Salads contain fresh fruits and vegetables, which provide you with all the necessary nutrition naturally. You can bring it up a notch by adding nuts and seeds into it. If you want to make salad diabetes-friendly, you can add chia seeds to it. It will give you an ample amount of fiber and keep your blood sugar levels balanced, not to mention the added crunchy texture it will bring to a great salad.

Chia Pudding

If you love desserts but can't eat too many because of diabetes, you can make chia pudding and enjoy it. It is effortless to make chia pudding, and it tastes delicious. You can add different flavors to it like cocoa or vanilla to enhance its taste. Chia pudding is a great way to start your day and keep you full for a long time, just remember to add in honey in place of sugar, and you can eat your heart out.

Chia Oatmeal

Oatmeal is also a healthy way to start your day. A lot of people have started oatmeal as it is now available easily in different flavors. You can easily eat it with milk or yogurt, but it could get boring to eat every day. You can add some chia seeds to it to add a twist to your breakfast. It will give it a great texture and provide you the much-needed energy and nutrients without raising your blood sugar levels.

Yoghurt Chia Dessert

People love eating yogurt, especially during summers. Yogurt keeps you hydrated and cools off the heat, and it tastes delicious. You can turn this superfood even healthier by adding chia seeds to it. It will give your yogurt a tremendous nutty flavor but remember to add it just before you eat yogurt, or else it may become lumpy. Add in some fresh fruits, and you can have a dessert without harming your body.

Chia Infused Chilla or Rotis

If you are tired of eating the same boring breakfast every day, you can try making besan or whole wheat chilla with chia seeds in it. Chia seeds will enhance its flavor and give you the required omega 3 fatty acids and fiber you need to keep you healthy. If any of your family members have diabetes, they would love this special breakfast; you can also add chia seeds in whole wheat flour and make yummy parathas with it. Throw in a cup of yogurt and serve a healthy, diabetes-friendly breakfast.

Chia Seeds Smoothies

Smoothies are delicious and healthy and are liked by everyone. You can add a handful of chia seeds in any smoothie to give it a thick consistency and a great flavor. It will turn your already healthy smoothie into a nutritious and filling one. The best way to add chia seeds is to soak it to let it turn into a gel and then add into your smoothie for a perfect texture.

Chia Water

Drinking water is important to stay fit and hydrated but drinking 2 liters of required amount of water in a day could make your taste buds bland. You can now make chia seed water easily. Simply take 1/4 cup of chia seeds and soak them in 4 cups of water for 30 minutes. Add it to water with a piece of lemon or other fruit of your choice. It will work as an antioxidant and help you lose a few pounds as well. You can easily make this and keep it in the fridge and serve it to any diabetic person to keep them hydrated and happy.

Chia Snack

Diabetic people tend to get hungry more often and need to munch on snacks during the day. You can offer them different snacks, but if you want them to stay healthy and keep their blood sugar levels in control, you can easily make chia munchies or give them a handful of chia seeds to directly munch on. It will keep them full for a long time and give them an ample amount of nutrients.

3 Great Chia Recipes for Diabetes

Here are three great recipes you can make with chia seeds and offer them to a person fighting diabetes.

Chia Seed Pudding

Source seriouseats.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1.5 tbsp heavy cream
1.5 tbsp sugar-free pancake syrup
3-4 tbsp almond meal depending on the consistency you want
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 dash cinnamon to taste
1 dash nutmeg to taste

Method

Take all the ingredients and mix them well.
Place it in the fridge for the night and stir well before serving it the next day.
You can serve it chilled or heat it before eating it.

Oatmeal With Chia Seeds

Source sepalika.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 Cup almond milk wnsweetened
2 tbsp Nuts of your choice (pick from macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts)
1 tbsp chia seeds
Pinch cinnamon powder
2 tbsp fresh fruit or dried fruit of your choice (optional)

Method

Heat a saucepan on medium heat and put in oats.
Add almond milk immediately and mix.
Let it boil as you stir, cook for about 5 minutes.
Add in chia seeds and cinnamon powder.
Remove from heat and stir again.
Pour it in a bowl and add fruits or nuts of your choice and serve.

Diabetes-Friendly Chocolate Chia Smoothie

Source verywellfit.com

Ingredients

½ cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons chia seeds
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ medium frozen bananas, cut into chunks
1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons peanut butter powder

Method

Whisk almond milk, chia seeds, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Leave it for 10 minutes for the chia seeds to absorb the liquid.
Add banana, almond milk, cocoa powder, and peanut butter powder in a blender and puree it well.
Take the chia mixture and put in two glasses, and top it up with the fruit mix.
Serve immediately.

Writer

Sarita Tiwari

Sarita worked in the development sector for 20 years but found her passion in writing. She is a blogger, a content writer and a ghost writer for various industries. When not writing, you will find her spending time with her family, cooking and traveling. She is an introvert and feels that writing gives a voice to her thoughts.

From our editorial team

Superfoods for People with Diabetes

Superfoods are called so for the sheer amount of nutrients they contain compared to other day-to-day food that we consume. There are a lot of superfoods available for people with diabetes that contain numerous nutrients beneficial for the heart with no or minimal amounts of sugar. Hence, even if you are a non-diabetic reading this post, they are definitely worth checking out and can be included in anyone's diet (with a bit of supervision initially).