How Much Chia Seed?

by Mickey
(Canada)

Mickey's question:

How much chia should you have in a day? Can you have too much?

Suzy's answer

Hi, Mickey,

This is a great question!

Generally, the recommendation for both chia seed and flax seed is to consume about 2 Tablespoons per day.

Since chia seed is a whole food and not a supplement, you do not have to be as careful about overdoing. Having said that, it is possible to consume too much of anything, including water.

Chia is a great source of fiber, so if you are not used to eating a lot of fiber you can start with one Tablespoon a day and work up to more. Keep in mind that 2 Tablespoons is a general recommendation, and if you eat a little more or less, it is not necessarily bad.

If you want to be sure to get 2 Tablespoons every day, you can add it to your breakfast cereal or drink it in juice and be done for the day. Otherwise, you can find more creative uses throughout the day.

My husband is a mountain biker and he always has a couple of Tablespoons of chia seed in a drink before he heads out. This is because of the energy it provides and the hydrophilic (water-holding) quality that it has, which is important to any athlete.

Chia seed has some of the same qualities and nutrients as flax seed, but chia has a much more mild flavor and, unlike flax, it does not have to be ground up in order to get the benefit. It also is a source of complete protein, a rarity among plant foods that usually have incomplete proteins.

I hope this helps, and thank you for visiting our healthy eating website!

Warmest regards,

Suzy

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