Isabelle Csete/Staff Writer

If you’re obsessed with modern-day superfoods then you need look no further than chia seeds.

These seeds grow primarily in South America and come from the Salvia hispanica plant, a plant in the same family as mint. These tiny black seeds, once a staple food of the Aztec and Mayan diets, are nutrient-packed, non-GMO, and naturally gluten-free. A one-ounce serving of chia seeds, which is two tablespoons or about as big as your thumb, contains 11 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, 5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (essential fatty acids for your body), 4 grams of healthy fat, zinc, magnesium, and much more. Even more impressively, one tablespoon of chia seeds has more calcium than a glass of milk and more omega-3 fatty acids than a piece of salmon.

The best part about chia seeds, however, is that they are incredibly easy to incorporate into your diet. Although they may taste rather bland when raw, they can be cooked in a variety of ways. Here are two of my favorite recipes, which are not only simple to whip up (especially in a dorm kitchen), but also unbelievably yummy.

The first recipe is a coconut chia seed pudding, which you can adapt in several ways. I modified it by combining the pudding with a little bit of agave, mango, and mint, but you can experiment with different toppings.

Coconut Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients

Pudding:
2 cups coconut milk (full fat works best)
1/3 cup chia seeds
1 1/2 tbsp. sweetener of choice (raw honey, maple syrup, etc.)
1/3 tsp. ground cinnamon

Modification/Topping 1:
1 ripe mango (peeled and cubed/sliced)
1 handful fresh mint (minced)
1 pinch chia seeds
1 pinch sesame seeds
1 tsp. sweetener of choice (raw honey, maple syrup, etc.), or to taste

Modification/Topping 2:
2 tbsp. cacao or cocoa
1 cup diced strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 tsp. sweetener of choice (raw honey, maple syrup, etc.), or to taste

Directions

1. Add cinnamon to coconut milk in a bowl.
2. Pour mixture into a mason jar, bowl, or leftover container with a lid.
3. Add chia seeds to pudding mixture and shake container vigorously.
4. If making Modification/Topping 2, stir cocoa into the mixture.
5. Cover container and place into fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight and take out when you are ready to enjoy. Don’t forget to serve your chia pudding with the topping combination of your choice.

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Blondies

Ingredients

1 medium ripe plantain, peeled
1 cup (8 oz.) pumpkin
2 tbsp. chia seeds
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup (1 1/4 oz.) coconut sugar
2 tbsp. (1 oz.) coconut oil

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place all dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk together.
3. If you can, puree the plantain or mash it extremely well. Add mashed/pureed plantain to dry ingredients bowl.
4. Stir mixture until ingredients are well-incorporated.
5. Add can of pumpkin puree and coconut oil.
6. Lightly oil a 9 x 9 cookie pan and pour batter into the bottom of the pan. Bake in oven and, after about 20 minutes, take them out and enjoy!