Chia Seed Butter

Name: Chia seed butter — a thick, slightly gelatinous paste of ground chia seeds (Salvia hispanica), usually blended with other seeds, nuts or a little oil to make it spreadable. Pure chia on its own is very dry and absorbs liquid, so it is often sold as a blend.

Description

Chia is native to Mexico and Guatemala, where the Aztecs and Maya grew it as a staple food and used it as an offering and in medicine. Its seeds absorb many times their weight in water, forming a gel, which is the property behind both chia pudding and the popular novelty chia pets. It was largely forgotten after the Spanish conquest, then revived as a health food in recent decades.

Seed butters are made by grinding seeds into a smooth paste, and the best contain only seeds, with perhaps a little salt or oil. Because whole chia seeds are small and hard, grinding them also makes their nutrients easier to digest, and the resulting spread has a mild, nutty taste and slightly grainy texture.

Main nutrition value

Chia seed butter provides the plant omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid, along with fibre, protein, calcium and magnesium, all concentrated in a small serving.

How best to be consumed

Chia seed butter is usually used as a spread or mixed into other foods.

1. Spread on toast or crackers, or swirl into porridge and yoghurt.
2. Stir into smoothies, which thicken as the seeds absorb liquid.
3. Use in baking and energy balls as a binder.
4. Choose blends with seeds as the main ingredient and no added sugar.
5. Drink water with it, since the high fibre soaks up fluid.

Overconsumption could cause…

Seed butters are nutritious but calorie-dense, and portion size matters.

1. Weight gain from large servings, since a tablespoon holds around 90 calories or more.
2. Added sugar, palm oil and salt in some commercial brands, so check the label.
3. Digestive discomfort, such as bloating, from a large amount of fibre if you are not used to it, so build up gradually and drink water.

GroupsSeed ButtersMint family (Lamiaceae)

Made fromChia Seeds

Related foodsFlaxseed ButterHemp Seed ButterMixed Seed ButterPumpkin Seed ButterSunflower Seed ButterTahini / Sesame Seed Butter

Wikipedia — Salvia hispanica, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_hispanica