Superfood 2011: All about the Chia Seed + Contest!
Introducing COBS CHIA Bread available now at COBS Bread!
Okay, I’ll give you a minute to insert all your Chia jokes in now. Yes, don’t forget the jingle… are you done yet? Great! Now don’t hate me or my blog for getting it stuck in your head for the next hour or so. I’m just trying to introduce to you the Chia seed!
I was honoured to be invited to the exclusive product launch for Cobs Bread’s new line of Chia Bread made with Australian grown Chia seed from The Chia Company. The Chia Co believes in sustainable farming and is the world’s largest producer of 100% natural, raw Chia seeds.
COBS Bread just launched their COBS CHIA Bread yesterday and it is now available at all COBS Bread locations. All breads are baked fresh daily and on site and you can choose from CHIA White ($4.20), CHIA Whole Wheat ($4.20) and CHIA Flax ($4.70).
I first heard of the Chia seed on Twitter a couple months ago and then did my own research on it. The Chia seed was featured on Dr. Oz and Oprah early last year and it’s a highly anticipated and upcoming Superfood for 2011. I’m not really a health nut, but when it comes to a new ingredient I have to know about it! It blows me away that there are still new ingredients to be discovered. Like, how do you create or suddenly discover a new ingredient in this day and age?! Amazing!
The Chia seed is actually an ancient grain that was wiped out and now they’re more or less re-introducing it to the world. It’s been left out of the modern diet because it’s difficult to grow. It’s almost like the 2.0 version of the flax seed.
I noticed them at a few specialty grocery stores a couple months ago, but I would research the brand before purchasing. Chia seeds need to be grown in very specific conditions in order to maximize the nutritional value in each seed. I’m no Chia seed expert, so it is up to me, or you, to do further research. However I will mention the Chia Seed from The Chia Co is of premium quality (HACCP certified) and of reliable of supply, hence why it is the chosen brand for COBS Bread as well as many other food manufactures.
What does the Chia seed taste like?
It tastes like nothing and its texture is poppy seed meets flax seed, but the flavour is completely neutral. However leave it in your mouth for a while and as it mixes with your saliva it turns slimy and slippery. Use it in bread though and it’s simply delicious. Well not delicious because it adds no flavour, but it does give bread a nice crunchiness and great crispy texture especially when toasted.
Quick Chia Seed Facts & Nutritional Information:
- Chia seeds are the highest plant-based source of: Omega-3 Fats, Dietary Fibre, Antioxidants, Protein
- Helps lessen the risk of heart disease and stroke
- Helps control blood sugar levels and lower blood cholesterol
- Excellent for diabetics
- High fibre, high protein, low-carb, low sodium, gluten free (although COBS Bread is not a gluten free bakery)
- Has more omega-3 than fish oil & flaxseeds
- “More protein, lipids, energy and fibre but fewer carbs than rice, barley, oats, wheat or corn”
- Provides sustained energy
- Contains 8 essential amino acids
- Source of iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc and copper
- “On par with blueberries for cancer-fighting antioxidants”
CHIA Bread – Gram per gram, the Chia seed contains…
- 15 x more magnesium than broccoli
- 7 x more vitamin C than oranges
- 6 x more calcium than milk
- 3 x more antioxidants than blueberries
- 3 x more iron than spinach
“The uniquely viscous soluble fiber in CHIA bread delays gastric emptying, slows the rate or glucose absorption and keeps you full longer”
- Two slices of COBS CHIA Bread provide 100% of the daily intake of omega-3 fats for children and women and 90% for men
- It provides 30% of the daily recommended intake of dietary fibre.
Follow Me Foodie Thoughts/Experience
Besides learning about the Chia seed I got a hands on baking session with COBS Bread’s Master Baker and got to bake my own Chia Bread! They offer the standard CHIA White, CHIA Whole Wheat and CHIA Flax loaves at all locations, and these “fancier” ones will vary according to location. My favourite was the CHIA Flax because it’s extra crunchy and crispy when toasted and I like bread with lots of grains and seedy texture.
YES! Leave it to me to bake the cheesiest and greasiest CHIA Bread! It was delicious! I overloaded mine with pesto, cheese, ham and Kalamata olives.
I highly recommend toasting CHIA bread before eating it, it’s extra crunchy and better than way. It has no flavour, but great texture so you’re really investing in its nutritional value, which is pretty astonishing. I know it sounds a bit expensive at $4+ a loaf, but you do pay for what you get and the quality of The CHIA Bread is made from premium Chia seeds from The Chia Co.
Also I did ask if toasting/cooking the CHIA seed will affect the quality or nutritional value of it and the answer was no – it’s completely protected by the shell of the seed and this is proved through years of research and testing.
This was my gift basket compliments of COBS Bread and The Chia CO. The bag of CHIA Seed in not yet available in stores in Canada. The CHIA Bread is available at all COBS Breads.
If you’ve read all the way down to here, good job!
Sorry! Contest is now CLOSED.
I’m giving away 5 $25 gift certificates to COBS Bread!
How to enter:
1) “LIKE” the Follow Me Foodie Facebook Fanpage
OR
2) Comment on this post and RT the following:
I entered the @followmefoodie #contest to win a $25 gift certificate to COBS Bread http://bit.ly/g46nuX
5 winners will be chosen. Each winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to COBS Bread. COBS Facebook Page here.
Winner will be selected at random. Contest closes January 11, 2011.
awesome!! I LOVE Cobs Bread!
LOVE COBS!!
sounds yummy!
I love bread! I’m Italian, so it’s something I eat everyday. Yes, I’m carb obsessed!
I love the bread at Cobs! Although I’m a tad apprehensive about trying the Chia bread, I’ll keep an open mind and give it a try. Thanks Mijune!
Bread looks yummy
Cobbs is a great bakery – would love to try the cheesy breads!
Twitter – ceilidhf
CBC TV show Dragon’s Den featured a couple who make breakfast cereal based on chia. I make my own, and buy chia at Galloway’s (along with everything else). Serving size is just 2 tablespoons.
This makes 6 days worth of cereal:
6 tbsp chia
2 tbsp each hulled hemp seed and buckwheat
1 tsp each dried organic apples, cranberries, raisins
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Add 1/4 cup milk to 2 tbsp cereal, let sit 5 mins before you eat it. It’s yummy.
Hmmm Would like to try it!
YUMMMMMMMMY! I love bread! especially from cobs!
@jadersyo
Cobs Bread is great! Manager usually brings in a whole bunch of goodies from them every couple of weeks
I love CHIA bread! It fills me up in the morning 🙂
Ooh… I want to try that. I’ve been eating Flax bread for months.
I’ve tried Chia cereal before…it was quite delicious
COBS completes me 🙂
Yummmmm….Cobs Bread has good cinnamon buns!
I would love to win some dough for Cobs 🙂
Cobs Bread is so nom nom nom!!!!
Sounds like the new super food!
i follow on fb and twitter and i tweeted your msg!
I want to try Chia bread. Thanks
hmmmmm, maybe i should try the chia seed on this potato bread recipe i have. i’m sure my chef can’t wait to get his hands on the chia seeds at school too!
That bread you made looks so good!!! I RT’ed.
Cant’s wait to try the Chia bread from COBS!
@nemoreiko
That looks so yummy!! I totally want to try this bread. I love Cobs!
I love chia seeds! When mixed with a liquid, it makes for a great egg substitute in vegan baking 😉 I also love COBS too… was my first job back when I was 14!
I read about this in the newspaper today and then remembered seeing you had a post about it so I had to come back to find out more. I’d love to try this for health and curiosity’s sake 🙂
(@KatherineKW)
i love their cinnamon rolls 🙂
i rted,
twitter: xApocalypse
I love COBS bread, especially their ham twist one.
yyyummmm!
Cobs is fantastic. Love pretty much everything from there!
RT’d your awesome contest. (@shrutispeaks)
This sounds awesome. I’ve tried chia before but as a bread, that’s a convenient way of getting all those necessary nutrients.
i can hear the Cobs’ “Blueberry Teatime” calling my name!!!!!!
First time hear about this
That chia bread was awesome!
Nom Nom! I love COBS! 🙂
every single piece of bread from COBS is delicious!
great to learn about all these different kinds of foods!!! =D
Awesome! I love COBS. I’m really intrigue by this Chia bread.
The COBS love on this post is amazing! Thanks Mijune and everyone who has left a comment 🙂
COBS is on Facebook (www.facebook.com/cobsbread) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/COBSBread). Follow us too for up-to-the-minute news on COBS.
Good luck with the gift card giveaway!
Cobs has some very nice baked goods.
COBS!
I’ve never tried Cobs Bread Before.
This sounds really interesting, I’m going to try this bread the next time I’m in Cobs!
Will be buying this bread this week
Can’t wait to try the Chia bread…do you know if the seeds need to ground up or broken to get all the benefits? You get more benefit from flax seeds when they are ground up. Great post and I love the bread that you put together…it looked soooo yummy! Will Cobs be putting that on the shelves???
luv cobbs and wud luv 2 try this
RT done @bluerubytuesday
mmmmm yummy bread from Cobs!
I love COBS bread. Please pick me. I can eat COBS bread morning, noon and night. I love the sweet stuff and the savourty stuff. Especially the twisted breads.
The Chia Bread sounds tasty. I’ll have to try it the next time I’m there.
I RT’d here: http://twitter.com/ennsee/status/24261004254777344
Thanks!
yum!