Do you soak your chia seeds? And other seed related discussion.

[Hollis]

I have been happily feeling very virtuous for putting chia seeds on my yoghurt in the morning.

However I have recently discovered that the nutritional benefits are better when these things are soaked, and eating them unsoaked can 'clog up' your system?

How many folk here bother to soak the things?

I also have bags of flaxseed - should I soak this stuff as well..

 

[gentlegreen]

Subscribing because I bought a bag on impulse yesterday -

I thought I might make a summer drink.... a bit like "bubble tea"

In the mint family - as is sesame....

 

[gentlegreen]

Milled flaxseed makes an impressive laxative hummus - blend with tahini, capers and Dijon mustard - all but the tahini available in Aldi.

 

[gentlegreen]

I used to ruin my bread by chucking in whole seed mixes - esp hemp - and latterly milled flaxseed..
Chia seed is reckoned to be less good value than milled flaxseed in terms of omega 3 precursors...
This thread spurred me to pop into Aldi for the walnuts I forgot too buy yesterday - walnuts are supposed to be the best for the omegas ... I'm not actually massively keen on them, but at least that will stop me necking a whole bag ...

In future I will probably buy my own linseed and mill them myself as I need them ... I tried sprouting linseed, but there's a definite art to that as they form a layer of gloop.
Chia seeds can be sprouted too ...

 

[dessiato]

Sometimes I soak, sometimes I don’t.

 

[lazythursday]

I usually soak chia seeds because I either use them to make a chia 'egg' - replacement for egg in things like veggie burgers or chia pudding - which is basically chia soaked overnight in plant milk / flavourings. Not really ever used them without mixing them with water.

 

[gentlegreen]

I also have bags of flaxseed - should I soak this stuff as well..

milled presumably ?
Whole flaxseed will pretty well go through intact if not chewed ...

 

[tony.c]

I used to have chia seed 'pudding' for breakfast instead of porridge. I did soak the chia seeds overnight in milk - any sort will do. And in the morning add some sweetener and maybe flavouring.
It's a bit like semolina.

 

[shakespearegirl]

I ‘soak’ chia seeds in yoghurt for half an hour before eating for breakfast, softens them up nicely

 

[UrbaneFox]

I have been happily feeling very virtuous for putting chia seeds on my yoghurt in the morning.

However I have recently discovered that the nutritional benefits are better when these things are soaked, and eating them unsoaked can 'clog up' your system?

How many folk here bother to soak the things?

I also have bags of flaxseed - should I soak this stuff as well..

Is there anything you want to achieve from your seed intake?

I like golden linseeds; they smooth things along on the bowel front. Full of essential fatty acids, etc.

 

[Riklet]

I bung them in porridge when cooking so they get a soaking. Theyre lush. Very good source of energy too.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I bung them in porridge when cooking so they get a soaking. Theyre lush. Very good source of energy too.

I chuck in linseeds when I'm doing porridge - ups the fibre content which is always good.

 

[Riklet]

I chuck in linseeds when I'm doing porridge - ups the fibre content which is always good.

thats a good shout, I used to make lots of bread with them, theyre very good for omega 3 too. Mmmm.

More people need to try chia seeds btw. They are awesome

 

[farmerbarleymow]

thats a good shout, I used to make lots of bread with them, theyre very good for omega 3 too. Mmmm.

Makes for even healthier porridge - oats, linseeds, frozen fruit and water. Bit of salt if you're that way inclined.

 

[Riklet]

Makes for even healthier porridge - oats, linseeds, frozen fruit and water. Bit of salt if you're that way inclined.

Only freaks and australians eat porridge without salt.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Only freaks and australians eat porridge without salt.

I didn't add it the other day because I couldn't find the small kilner jar of salt as I use it so rarely - a pack of maldon last two or three years.

 

[Hollis]

I soaked the things in oat milk last night - suprised how much they absorbed. Definitely the better for it, and I've read more about how it helps release all the nutirent.

Way to go.

 

[gentlegreen]

My walnut idea isn't working - I'm managing to eat them at an alarming rate ...

Aldi's milled flaxseed has changed - it's more "wholemeal" than previously ...

 

[gentlegreen]

Not sure what I'm going to do with my chia seeds - I've soaked some in water and added a quarter of a tropical multivit ...

 

[RubyToogood]

I'm wary of chia seeds because I've heard they can interact with anticoagulants, which I am on, although I can't really nail that down.

 

[Hollis]

Interesting analysis of the correct water to chia seed ratio here:

6:1 is apparently the gold standard to aim for.

How To Soak Chia Seeds – The Ultimate Guide

Tonight's experiment will be soaking them in water, then adding to yoghurt in the morning.

 

[gentlegreen]

I had a lot of milled flaxseed yesterday - certainly got things moving this morning ... I'm a bit worried about the calories - 980kcals per bag ...especially when turned into hummus by adding tahini, - plus capers, Dijon mustard and pickles ...

On impulse I grabbed a bag of milled hempseed in the deli - quite expensive though ...

 

[gentlegreen]

I'm going to have to be careful how much of this stuff I eat - milled flaxseed is nearly 1,000 kcals a bag - though porridge oats are nearly 4000.
The flaxseed is probably justifiable though - except I sometimes turn it into hummus.

I've started caning the fortified yeast flakes - 436 kcals a tub, B12 55microgramme per tub (2 x RDA) and I've got through a whole one the first week ...
- I really need to ration them in any case as they tend to swamp my stew flavour-wise ...

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I'm going to have to be careful how much of this stuff I eat - milled flaxseed is nearly 1,000 kcals a bag - though porridge oats are nearly 4000.

Nuts and seeds are high-calorie foods - but it's difficult to eat too many of the tough ones like linseed at least so you probably don't need to worry about the calories. Read recently that high fibre stuff prevents some other macronutrients like fat being absorbed as it binds to them.

 

[gentlegreen]

Bloody hell - just been in the deli and saw that I'd misread the price of the hulled hempseeds
That was a very expensive mistake.
I finished them off yesterday by stirring into very thick cocoa to make some sort of dessert ...

 

[lazythursday]

Bloody hell - just been in the deli and saw that I'd misread the price of the hulled hempseeds
That was a very expensive mistake.
I finished them off yesterday by stirring into very thick cocoa to make some sort of dessert ...

The hulled hempseeds are pretty expensive but I do buy the odd packet occasionally because they keep a good few weeks in the fridge and they are really nice chucked into stir fries or roasted vegetables etc.

I usually pay about £5-£7 for a 200g packet in the supermarket but just looking now it looks like you can get them way way cheaper online.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Need to buy more seeds to add to bread - anyone tried this type from this company?

Buy Wholefoods Online | Whole foods UK | Organic Foods | Health Foods

www.buywholefoodsonline.co.uk

 

[gentlegreen]

Need to buy more seeds to add to bread - anyone tried this type from this company?

Buy Wholefoods Online | Whole foods UK | Organic Foods | Health Foods

www.buywholefoodsonline.co.uk

That has a few seeds I would never have thought of adding.
I must have another "crack" at whole hemp ...

 

[lazythursday]

I had to cut down on my seed habit because I hadn't appreciated just how calorific they are. But I did make a lovely shelled hemp-based savoury sauce for a pie tonight.

 

[gentlegreen]

Is there much nutritional pint in using whole linseeds ?
Though I suppose, a bit like hemp seeds, the dough may help break them up when you eat the bread ...