Did you ever have one of things in your life where you think “I could kick myself for not doing this sooner”, or “where has this been all of my life”? Chia jam is one of those things. I have made this every week for a month straight. I positively fetishize it!!! When you eat it, you marvel at the “how is this not jam?” factor. The texture is spot on! Plus, it is absurdly easy to make. The one thing it is not: it is not preserved so you will need to keep it refrigerated. Big deal! I’ll take this over that sugary stuff any day of the week!

When you make something yourself, you have complete control over what goes into it. Call me a control freak if you will, but sugar feeds cancer so I don’t want to feed sugar to myself. Aside from weight gain, sugar also ages you by causing inflammation in the body as well as aiding in collagen breakdown; causing wrinkles and sagging skin. 

Strawberries are carbs too and do contain a small amount fructose, but nothing like added sugar. They are also included in the “dirty dozen” meaning they can contain lots of pesticide residue so it’s best to get USDA certified organic strawberries; you’re worth the extra money aren’t you? 

Strawberries are packed with vitamins, fiber, polyphenols, and are relatively low in the glycemic index; plus they contain ellagic acid which lowers inflammation and contains anti-cancer properties. If I were to write about all of the health benefits of strawberries we would be here all day! God made them mouthwateringly yummy for a reason, they are nature’s candy and we are supposed to eat them! 

Chia seeds have earned the status of being called ‘superfoods’ because they are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, good fats, and tons of fiber. Just two tablespoons of this jelly packs a whopping 2.2 grams of fiber thanks to chia seeds! 

INGREDIENTS:

  •  2 cups of strawberries (if they are frozen, defrost them) 
  • 4 tbsp. chia seeds 
  • 3 tbsp. water 
  • 4 tbsp. erythritol sweetener or stevia, and maybe some monk fruit sweetener. 
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
  • 1 glass jar 

DIRECTIONS:

Put it all in the blender and blend until smooth, just a couple of minutes. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate for a half hour (you can eat it as is right after you make it, but it’s better cold). I am not kidding you it really is that easy! Spread it on some toast or rice cakes and you have got yourself some jelly! It lasts for about a week. 

 

NUTRITION:

Calories: 31
Fat: 1.6 g
Carbs: 4 g
Protein: .95 g
Fiber: 2.2 g
Sugars: 1 g