Fruit Juice Chia Seed Drink

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Dear readers, this food story starts with one word: 'regular'. As I'm sure y'all would know, being 'regular' sometimes can be an annoying problem. So just add more fiber, amirite? Easy peasy, amirite? But what happens when one tries prunes, more veg, more fruit and more fibery food and the 'regular' problem still persists, what is one to do?

And all that jazz led us to this new drink we're making in our house these days because we discovered the amazingness of chia seeds! Easy and quick to make, this Fruit Juice Chia Seed Drink is super yummilicious and super good for the 'regular' you!

Dried chia seeds

First some science-y facts! Did you know that there are are two types of fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, forming a gel that adds bulk and softens. Examples of food with soluble fiber are whole grains, fruits and beans.

Insoluble fiber is "roughage" or the stuff in food that the body cannot break down in the gut. Insoluble fiber adds bulk and acts kinda like a brush to sweep everything along. Examples are whole grains, nuts, beans, veg, and skins/seeds of fruit and veg. So you probably noticed that the two lists are kinda similar. That's cuz most of these foods have both types of fiber, sometimes with more of one than the other.

Turns out the best kind of fiber is both! All of the above which lead us to chia seeds. They are super packed with both soluble and insoluble fibers, like 35% fiber by weight! So this is the perfect thing to get 'regular' with. Chia seeds are also incredibly rich in nutrients, containing omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, antioxidants, and all kinds of vitamins and minerals. A superfood, really, plus it's actually really fun to eat!

Chia pet (photo by Hackfish)

Fun fact this time: did you know that chai seeds are the same as the 'chia seed pets' that were so popular in the eighties? Remember those? Little terracotta animals made with little holes in which to plant chia seeds. With a bit of water each day the chia seeds sprout into bushy green glory of fake fur. Oh how I wanted one…

The first thing to do in making this drink is to prep the chia seeds. To do this you need to add water to the tiny chia seeds and give them time to hydrate. The ratio for the hydration is 1 1/2 tbsp seeds to 1 cup water. As they hydrate the most curious thing happens: the fiber in the chia swells, combining with water to form a gel around each seed. This gel is the soluble fiber!

Now if you haven’t tried this before you might be thinking that this gel sounds weird. But it’s not, I promise! It’s like a crunchy bit (the seed) wrapped in a lovely cool jelly.

The most efficient way to prep is to toss chia seeds and water into a jar, mix and let sit for 30 mins minimum, 2 hours preferred, or overnight. I like the overnite option so that you can prepare enough for the next couple of days. Then it's just grab and serve.

The chia seeds have a slightly nutty taste. You'll want to add the sweetener of your choice: powdered sugar, maple sugar or honey. We used some Hong Kong winter honey, yum, yum... Mix it up before adding the fruit.

You can use almost any fruit of your choice to add to the chia seeds. Puree strawberries,watermelon, apples, blueberries, dragon fruits, pears...anything you like! This time we used golden kiwis: soft, juicy and sweet with a bit of tang. And no need to sort out any seeds for the kiwi either cuz the seeds are edible!

Just rough chop the fruit up and pop into the hand blender.

Whiz it a couple of time and you've got your fruit juice. Such a beautiful happy yellow! If the texture is thick, add some water to loosen it up.

Pour the juice into the chia seeds. If you keep the pour in the middle of the glass you can achieve a nice circle of chia around your juice. Gorgeous, amirite?

So easy and quick to make and so good for you! Try it and see if this doesn't become a ‘regular’ (wink) favorite drink in your house!

Fruit Juice Chia Seed Drink

(makes 1 drink) Prep time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup boiled and cooled water
1 cup diced fruit of your choice
1 tbsp boiled and cooled water
2-3 tsp honey ( or preferred sweetener)

Directions:

Add chia seeds and water to a clean jar. Let soak for 5 mins, then stir. Let soak another 5 mins and stir again. Let soak total for at least 30 mins, though 2 hours is best for total hydration. At this point the gelled chia seeds can be used for this drink and any remainder can be stored in the fridge and used within the next 5 days.

Peel and dice the fruit. Puree the fruit and 1 tbsp of water in blender. Add honey at this point, if needed, to sweeten the fruit. Add more water, if needed, to achieve thinness preferred.

Add half the hydrated chia seeds to a serving dish or glass. Add honey, if desired, to sweeten the seeds. Stir to mix.

Add the fruit puree to the serving dish/glass, pouring slowly into the center of the chia seeds to create pattern.

Serve the fruit chia seed drink fresh and cool and crunchy. Enjoy!

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