Chia seeds have been known as a superfood for several years. Many people would now say that they are small but powerful.
In recent years, chia has become a faithful companion for a healthy breakfast – the dark seed is not only very healthy, but can also help you lose weight, stabilise blood sugar, thus ensuring a longer feeling of satiety and also provide you with high-quality protein!
Since 2013 chia seeds have also been marketed in Europe. It is a superfood with a high content of phytochemicals, vitamins and trace elements.
In the food industry, chia seeds are very important today because of their health-promoting properties. In today's blog post, we will tell you exactly how it does that.
Chia - read more about the sage plant
Nutritional value and effect of chia seeds
The nutritional value of chia seeds is as follows: 100 g contain 5 g carbohydrates, 21 g protein and 24 g unsaturated fatty acids. The high proportion of proteins makes them extremely attractive for muscle building, as well as for nutrition-conscious people due to the long-lasting feeling of satiety.
5 reasons why chia seeds are a little helper for losing weight
Chia seeds are considered a real superfood. Especially when it comes to a healthy breakfast, you should make sure that you eat the right foods and ingredients. Chia seeds will help you with that! We will explain why in the following reasons.
1. Chia seeds keep you full for a long time
The seeds have the excellent property of swelling many times their size. You should let them soak for at least 10-30 minutes. With just a few grams, you can make a large portion.
Chia seeds quickly have a satiating effect when you mix them into smoothies or other foods. Since they can increase in volume by 9 to 12 times their original size when soaked, the seeds serve as an ideal water reservoir and provide the body with an extra portion of liquid.
If you use the seeds as a topping, you should bear in mind that they can continue to swell in the stomach. This ensures a particularly long-lasting feeling of satiety. But be careful not to consume too many dry seeds.
2. The perfect topping: low-calorie chia seed
toppings are probably the tastiest and most fun at breakfast time! Fortunately, there are no limits to how you can top your breakfast. Let your imagination run wild and add fresh fruit, berries or seeds. Chia seeds are the perfect topping for your healthy breakfast.
Whether you add them to porridge or overnight oats, these healthy seeds look wonderful on any breakfast. Chia seeds are full of healthy ingredients and proteins and are very low in calories! As already mentioned, they keep you full for longer and stimulate your digestion. We have a great recipe for you for the perfect overnight oats with chia seeds:
discover healthy Verival Porridge
3. Chia seeds stimulate your digestion
Chia seeds promote healthy digestion. With 35 g of fibre per 100 g, they are among the fibre-richest foods.
Their fibre content is similar to that of flaxseed, twice as high as that of peas and even three times higher than that of wholemeal oats.
Fibre stimulates gastrointestinal activity and promotes digestion due to its bowel-cleansing function. This also protects against diverticulitis.
Since humans can only digest fibre slowly, it also ensures a long-lasting feeling of satiety. However, more than 30-35 g of fibre per day is not recommended, as this can lead to unpleasant bloating.
For people with coeliac disease, in particular, the seeds are a high-quality source of protein compared to other types of grain because they are naturally gluten-free.
4. Important fatty acids help you lose weight naturally
Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which you can also find in fish, microalgae or vegetable oils. Because the body can better absorb the nutrients from oil, chia oil is also produced.
The recommended daily amount is 2 g of the oil. It helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Omega-3 fatty acids also have an anti-inflammatory effect.
5. With the right ingredients for weight loss
Chia seeds are packed with valuable nutrients. They are an essential part of any healthy breakfast. They contain a lot of protein and are rich in antioxidants. What's more, eating chia seeds has a positive effect on your blood sugar level and can prevent diseases.
Antioxidants protect your cells from external influences – that's why they are considered real cell boosters. The many different antioxidants in chia seeds are particularly beneficial for your immune system.
If you take care to eat the right foods for breakfast, you will automatically lose weight! Because if you eat a balanced and healthy diet, you can't go wrong. At least that's our motto 😉
Discover the low-calorie Verival breakfast
BMI – what is your ideal weight?
If you are trying to find your ideal weight, BMI can help you to get a rough figure. BMI or body mass index is a figure that calculates a person's weight in relation to their height. It uses a simple equation to show whether someone is considered to be overweight, underweight or of a healthy weight.
To interpret the calculated BMI, gender and age are often taken into account. For example, the upper and lower limits of normal weight are often set higher for men than for women because they generally have slightly more muscle mass.
With a BMI between 18.5 and 25, you are officially considered to have a normal weight. If the value is below this, you are considered to be underweight; if it is above this, you are considered to be overweight. People with a BMI over 30 are categorised as obese according to various degrees of severity.