Don't Skip This Step When Adding Chia Seeds To Smoothies

Whether it's a healthy black forest smoothie or a refreshing summer green smoothie, blending fruit and vegetables makes it easy to get your nutrients in. You can also boost smoothies even further by adding healthy nuts and seeds to the mix, like chia or flax. Chia seeds are packed with antioxidants and ideal for smoothies because of their small size and mild flavor. All you need to add is a small spoon, but there is an extra step you should take before blending them.

Soaking chia seeds in a little water or milk can help them blend more finely in smoothies and make them easier to digest. It also prevents them from sticking to the sides of the blender and can save some headaches for anyone with braces. 

Chia seeds form a gel when they're added to liquid, and the reaction happens pretty quickly. You only need to soak them for about five minutes if you're tight on time, or you can leave them for longer to create a more pudding-like texture that will thicken the smoothie further.

To soak chia seeds, simply add them to a clean bowl and pour water or milk over them. A good ratio is about one tablespoon of seeds to ¼ cup of liquid, or ¼ cup of seeds to one cup of liquid if you're batch-cooking. Stir the mixture and let it set. Once a paste has been formed, add it to the blender with the rest of your smoothie ingredients.

Soaked chia seeds can be refrigerated for up to five days, and you can use them to boost plenty of other breakfast and snack options, like yogurt, oatmeal, or pancakes. You can also sub out egg whites with chia seeds when baking or make a chia pudding recipe with the mix. While soaking chia seeds isn't completely necessary for smoothies, it does have a lot of benefits, and all you need is a little extra time.