Chia plants are a part of the mint family. It is known as Mexican chia or Salba chia. It is famous for its edible seeds. It is also easy to grow and maintain.
You may ask if you can eat chia plants. Let us help you find the answer to that and check some interesting facts about this fascinating plant.
Can you eat chia plants?
You can eat chia plants. Although chia plants are famous for their edible seed, you can eat the greens, sprouts and grass of chia plants. It is safe. It is said that chia plants have a high protein count and are filled with nutrition. Thus, it is healthy to eat.
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Chia plants are easy to grow at home. They require minimum care and can grow in any condition. It is said to be a superfood that can be grown at home. Thus, it is popular among people. It provides other necessary body nutrition and energy for work.
It provides a lot of strength to the person who eats it. It provides enhanced strength and endurance to people to eat it. So, it is a superfood that is good for sound and healthy health.
You may ask which parts can be eaten. Let us discuss some parts of chia plants if they can be eaten:
Greens:
Yes, greens of chia plants can be eaten. Greens of chia plants are full of nutrition and good for your health. It can give you the necessary minerals and nutrition that can help you become more energetic and have a healthy life.
Sprouts:
Yes, sprouts of chia plants can be eaten. Chia plants are of two types. One is with sprouts and the other is without them. Sprouts of chia plants are good for the human body.
The sprouts of chia plants tend to have a tangy taste. It is used as a spice in salads, spreads, soups, appetizers, sandwiches, dips and many more dishes. It is said that sprouts of chia plants are best when served raw or added to soups while serving it.
Grass:
If you grow the plants in a controlled environment, then yes, the grass of the chia plant can be eaten. Many people grow them in their home kitchen and garden. But as they can grow anywhere, they may be grown in bad soil.
This may cause the plant to become harmful for humans.
Leaves:
Yes, leaves of chia plants can be eaten. It can be eaten as an alternative to spinach. It comes with high protein and nutrients. It can be eaten as a salad or you can stir fry it if necessary.
Is the chia plant edible? Can you eat what grows on a Chia Pet?
Yes, the chia plant is edible. Chia plant is considered to be a superfood to experts. It contains various minerals and nutritional value that is essential and good for health. Chia plants have multiple parts. There are greens, sprouts, seeds, grass, leaves and many more.
All parts of the chia plant can be eaten without any worry. But, the plant must be grown in a controlled environment and the soil must be good. Plants grown in an uncontrolled environment and bad soil are not suitable for human beings and can be harmful to eat.
You can eat what grows on a Chia Pet. The most noteworthy that grows on it is sprouts and seeds. Chia sprouts are known as a type of microgreen. It is usually used as spices. Chia seeds are a source of high protein, which is good for the human body.
4 reasons why you can eat chia plants
Chia plants originate from the Mexican region. It is seen as an essential and nutritious plant. There are various reasons why you can eat chia plants. Here are 4 reasons why we think you can eat chia plants:
The plant is entirely edible:
The whole chia plant is edible. You can eat the leaves of the seeds of the plant. All these parts of the plant have high nutrition value. It can provide a person with all the necessary minerals required.
The seeds are highly nutritious:
The seeds of chia plants are a source of high protein. As the seeds have a lot of fibre, they can be a great source of high proteins. Thus, you can have them as a good source of energy.
The sprouts can be a good spice:
The sprouts of chia plants have a different kind of taste. It has a tangy flavour. Thus, you can use it as a spice in various food. It can give your food a different kind of taste. It can also make the dish more delicious.
It can be grown easily:
It can be grown easily on the lawn or kitchen of your house. It also requires little care to grow. Thus, you can plant them easily.
Why you should eat your chia plant?
Chia plants are remarkable. There are multiple reasons why you should eat chia plants. If you are looking for the reasons, here are some reasons why we think you should eat your chia plants:
Chia plants are highly nutritious:
Chia plants are highly nutritious as it contains calories, proteins, fats, ALA, carbs, fibre, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin B1, B3 and many more. It also contains various micronutrients and omega-3 fatty acids.
It has various antioxidants:
Chia plants have various antioxidants. It comes with various numbers of antioxidants. It contains chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, kaempferol and many more. All of these helps to protect the heart and liver& prevent cancer.
Lowers the risk of heart diseases:
Chia plants lower the risk of many heart-related diseases. It helps in controlling the total and bad cholesterol in your blood flow. Maintaining the level of total and bad cholesterol helps to prevent heart diseases.
Controls blood sugar levels:
Studies show that Chia plants help to improve insulin sensitivity. This helps to stabilize blood sugar levels after taking a meal. Therefore, this helps to keep the person’s blood sugar level in a steady state.
How to eat chia plants?
Chia plants can be eaten in many ways. You can eat the parts of the plant that can be eaten in various ways directly or be used as a subsidiary. Among all the ways that it can be eaten, here are some unique ways to eat a chia plant:
Chia leaves as a spinach alternative:
The leaves of the chia plant are highly nutritious and full of minerals. It can be eaten as an alternative to spinach. You can eat it in salads or stir fry it in the way you like. It has a similar nutrition value as spinach but more than what it had.
Chia sprouts in soup and dips:
Chia sprouts have a tangy taste while raw or dry. This tangy taste helps make dips and soups tastier. Therefore, you can use it before or while serving the dips and soups and give a different taste to your dish.
Replacement for eggs in pancakes:
Chia can be an alternative for eggs while making pancakes. You can just add them to a bowl of water and soak them for 10 minutes. After that, you can pour the gel-like liquid of the bowl into the pancake mix.
It does the work of the eggs and adds some extra nutrition value as well.
Healthy chia porridge:
You can make a healthy dish called chia porridge. You just have to soak 1/4 cup of chia in organic soy milk overnight. You might add some cinnamon and a couple of stevia drops to make it tastier. Before eating, just shake it well.
What do chia sprouts taste like?
Chia sprouts taste tangy. Chia sprouts are renowned spice. It can incorporate different kinds of dishes. It has a sour taste which is like a tangy taste. This helps to increase the tastiness of the dish.
You can use it in soups, dips, spreads, salads and many more. It is used mostly in soups and dips. People use this in soups raw or making it as a powder and sprinkling it just before serving. It makes the dip or soup tastier.
Not only that, but it also increases the dish’s nutritional value as well.
Chia sprouts can be found in chia plants. It can be found in the grocery store as well. There are many companies that sell chia sprouts in packets as a spice.
Final Thoughts
You can eat chia plants. All the parts of the chia plants can be eaten by us. This means Greens, Sprouts, Grass and many more parts of the plant can be eaten. They all contain nutritive value and are good for health. But you must keep in mind that the plant must be grown in a controlled environment.