Chia seeds: How to eat and drink them

Chia seeds can be sprinkled on oatmeal, made into pudding, added to juice or baked into bread.

The quickest recipe is to just add a tablespoon of chia seeds to 8 to 10 ounces of water or juice. You can drink it right away, but letting it sit for about 10 minutes will let the seeds start to gel.

Pudding is nearly as easy: Stir 1/3 cup of chia seeds into a cup of almond milk, add sweetener and flavor — vanilla, for example — to taste. Refrigerate overnight. If desired, add raisins or nuts before serving.

If that’s not to your liking, a book published in May, “Chia: The Complete Guide to the Ultimate Superfood” by Wayne Coates, includes 75 recipes. Among them are smoothies, muffins, salads and casseroles such as shepherd’s pie or polenta with white beans.

— Mary MacVean