Inspiration for cooking can come when you least expect it, and from the least expected sources.
Text And Photo By Brady Evans
When I’m not cooking, I’m reading or running. It is amazing, however, how often my love of cooking and recipes pops up in unexpectedly in books that I read.
For instance, Under the Tuscan Sun by by Frances Mayes is a fantastically interesting read for people in love of architecture, Italy, or food. I had no idea the recipe ideas I’d be running into in this book when I first borrowed it from my mother. 
Similarly, I had no idea that the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall would get me interested in a previously unknown-to-me superfood: chia seeds. This ingredient is known to be a fantastic source of essential fatty acids, protein, and soluble fiber.
So far I’ve found the easiest way to enjoy them is in smoothie form. Once soaked in water, they form a gel-like substance that is easily added to a delicious fruit smoothie. With or without chia seeds, however, this is a winning breakfast!
PrintStrawberry Banana Smoothie with Chia Seeds
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
A superfood smoothie consisting of fresh fruits, chia seeds, and coconut milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 mL) fresh strawberries, hulled and cleaned
- 1 peeled banana, frozen
- 4 cubes of ice
- 1 T chia seeds soaked in 1/4 cup (60 mL) of water
- 1/3 cup (160 mL) light coconut milk
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender.
- Pulse to desired consistency, adding more water to thin if necessary.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
Hi Brady, can I add Matcha Green Tea powder to this smoothie? Thanks.
Hi Could you please confirm the amount of coconut milk required as the measurements (ie 1/3 cup or 160ml) are conflicting? Thx heaps!
If you could write down the most important thing which is how much there is in it per 100g ………………..
Sigh.
If you google “how long to soak chia seeds before eating” you find the resulting consensus to be TEN minutes. By doing so the chia seeds then open their nutritional benefits more readily for consumption either for baking or smoothie use.
How long do you soak the chia seeds?
I love this recipe! My mom and I just started to use chia seeds. We started off putting them in our morning Boost shake. It wasn’t “bad”, but I wanted to find another way to take it. I then realized that the texture of the chia seeds reminded me of a strawberry smoothie. I looked up the recipe and I am enjoying right as I am typing this. Thanks! I am going to look up other smoothies to make.
hey, great idea! how long do u soak the chia seeds? just few minutes or over night? thanks!
Hi Brady, I am with you on it being a winning breakfast. I love smoothies for breakfast or lunch. Thanks for the tips on both the books and chia seeds. The chia seeds sound like something to look into.