When I first tried chia seeds (in the form of chia pudding), I wasn’t a fan. I wanted to like them: they’re so good for you. But eating something just because it’s good for you?
Ridiculous!
You don’t have to suffer for health.
If you aren’t big on a certain food, there are plenty of ways to get all your nutrients somewhere else. For example, my sister hates bananas. So she gets her potassium from foods she does like, such as yams, spinach, and broccoli. No big deal. Remember that mental health is an important component to overall health, too. If you’re choking down foods you detest, your mental health will suffer.
Going back to the chia… Although I didn’t like the pudding, I was willing to give the seeds a second chance. Perhaps I’d enjoy them in a different form. After all, everyone in the blogworld seems to adore them. So when the Health Warrior Company offered me some samples, I accepted.
And I discovered that I do like chia seeds. They are awesome in oatmeal!
Never-Ending Oatmeal Bowl
(serves 1)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 1/2 cups milk of choice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup more milk of choice
- sweetener and add-ins of choice
Either cook oats, milk, and salt on the stovetop, or place your oats and salt in a large, microwaveable dish (I use a pyrex 4-cup measurer) with the milk of choice. Microwave 1 and 1/2 minutes, then add your chia and 1/2 cup more liquid. Microwave 2 more minutes. Don’t open the microwave door yet. Instead, leave your mixture for five minutes. Then stir and put in the fridge—uncovered—overnight. Next day, it will magically be thick and ready for your favorite add-ins!
For sweetener, try using The Melted Banana Trick.
Also, I really like to put the cooked oatmeal in my Magic Bullet and blend just a little. This “blended grains” trick really helps all the flavors to meld together.
Do you ever eat foods you don’t really like, just because they’re good for you?
Or do you ever feel pressured to eat a certain food because other bloggers like it? We are all different and our bodies crave different things (and amounts). We should NOT base our food choices on what anyone else is eating. It’d be really weird (not to mention boring) if we were all exactly the same.
This is one of the main reasons I’m not planning on doing another “day in the life” post even though a lot of readers have asked. I don’t feel comfortable knowing others will compare their eating habits to mine or try to mimic what I eat. The way I eat is only perfect for me. You need to listen to your own body, not to what anyone around you is doing.
I really like that post, thank you.
I NEVER eat something only because it´s good for me, never!! I feel eating has to be something enjoyable and I do pretty well with the food I eat 😉
there’s really only a handful of foods I hate and the only healthy one is asparagus. It’s been pretty easy to avoid 🙂
I’m not a big fan of meat, but I eat it out of convenience (don’t want people cooking special for me) and to not feel sick when I really am craving a good burger.
The last time and only time in the past year when I’ve forced myself to eat something was the turkey wrap at Jekyl and Hyde. it wasn’t healthy, but I had to eat for the sake of keeping myself fueled and it was just the worst meal I ever had. salt salt salt
the comparison trap really strains us, doesnt it. Everyone has different needs, wants, etc. when it comes to food and we should embrace our so called “individuality” when it comes to food choices. And that definitely takes time and confidence. Well said Katie!
Looks good, and I bet a lot of oatmeal lovers will enjoy it, but for some reason I have a kind of intolerance for oatmeal. I couldn’t eat it as a kid and I tried again when I read all these blogs and how much they loved it, but I just can’t enjoy it.
I hate comparing myself to other people. I always feel terrible for it so I try to stop as soon as I can.
I got a lot of good recipe ideas from other bloggers, but I don’t ever feel pressured to eat certain things. I’ll give all the foods a fair shot, but if I don’t like them, I’m not eating them. Way too many things out there I DO like to be wasting my time with foods I don’t.
I definately have to have my morning oatmeal or oatbran. If you haven’t tried oatbran yes I completely recommend it! I find it’s much creamier than oatmeal and has much more fibre in it. While I’ve never tried chia seeds in my oatmeal/bran I usually add in 1 tbsp of flax seeds (you have to love those omega fatty acids!). I assume it would have about the same effect as chia seeds as it adds a fun bite to it!
Just make sure it is ground flax seed you are eating, otherwise you do not reap the full benefits of flax. Grinding the seeds releases the oil and therefore the omega-3!
Good tip! I didn’t know that for the first year I ate flax… I thought I was doing such a good job, eating the whole seeds!
Amen! Life is too short for (IMO) brussels sprouts. So Hubby gets more!
I’m going to have to try the blender trick, as well as the banana trick.
I think when your book comes out I may have to quit my job, just so I have time to focus on making all your recipes!!!!!!
I’ve actually never tried chia seeds…but they sound yummy now! Hm, yea i’ve def eaten some food just because they’re healthy. like fish bones (YUCK!) i didn’t want to eat them, but they were “supposedly” supposed to improve my bones…
I really love your tips for making oatmeal last longer and taste better! I do like oatmeal, but I feel like sometimes other bloggers can really go overboard on their obsession with it and posting about it every.single.day. I get it that it’s good, but…it’s just oatmeal! I can’t wait to try out your tips!
Ick, I never make myself eat things just because it’s a blog world trend! Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of oatmeal. I like it occasionally – I had oat bran this morning at it was AWESOME, and it had chia seeds but thats not the point – I’m not gonna force myself to eat it because everyone else does. Luckily there aren’t many foods that I don’t like!
Have you tried using chia seeds as an egg? It works just like a flax egg, in fact I personally think it works better!
I haven’t! I really need to, huh?