Many medical experts have found that chia seeds have quite a few benefits, including aiding weight loss, reducing blood pressure and controlling blood sugar. They also promote hydration and strong performance in athletes, and many runners and hikers swear by their benefits.

Because chia seeds can absorb up to 10 times their weight in liquid, they can really boost your hydration. Making a chia gel and adding it to juice, water, smoothies and oatmeal can help athletes maintain their overall endurance.

Some athletes like to pump up with chia before their exercise routine, and others save it for their end-of-workout treat. It’s important to find the timing that works for you. If you tend to get dehydrated during your workout, then chia seeds could help restore your balance. If you feel sapped of energy afterward, chia might just be the pick-me-up you need.

There are a couple of different ways you can work chia seeds into your daily routine. For those who are pressed for time, we offer Organic Chia Energy Squares. Tailor-made for NutsOnline’s chia-crazy customers, these chewy squares are packed with raw ingredients like cashews, dates and coconut in addition to chia seeds.

Many people prefer to make a batch of chia gel and store it in the refrigerator as an easy addition to smoothies and other snacks. To do this, simply mix 2/3 cup of chia seeds with 4 cups of water in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake to combine the seeds and water, then refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes to allow the gel to form.

As we mentioned earlier, you can add a tablespoon or two of chia gel to your smoothie, juice or oatmeal. You can also make a refreshing treat called chia fresca by mixing the chia gel with water, citrus juice and sweetener.

What are some of your favorite ways to consume chia seeds? Do you ever use them as a supplement before or after your workout?

A hearty breakfast is key to living an active life, and it’s important to make sure you start your day off ready for action. In the mornings, we love to munch a big bowl of filling, nutritious granola.

A few months ago in The Nutty Scoop, we shared our favorite granola recipe. However, making the sweet, crunchy cereal is just part of whipping up this breakfast treat. You can customize each batch of granola by adding about 2 cups of your favorite nuts and dried fruit. We try to mix it up with each batch, and have come up with some pretty fantastic combinations. Here are our five favorite granola flavors, in no particular order:

1)      Turkish Delight: This combination of diced Turkish apricots and raw pistachios produces a rich, sweet cereal that’s perfect with tart plain yogurt and a dab of honey.

2)      Awesome Antioxidants: Organic cacao nibs and dried goji berries come together to make a not-too-sweet cereal that’s packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It’s delicious with cold milk, but even better on top of frozen yogurt. After all, who says frozen desserts aren’t for breakfast?

3)      Strawberry Shortcake: This granola tastes awfully similar to one of our favorite summer desserts. Add crunchy freeze-dried Simply Strawberries and sliced natural almonds to your granola for a delicious, simple blend that’ll please both kids and adults. Topping it with almond milk or vanilla soy milk makes it even more decadent.

4)      Banana Muffin: This combination tastes just like the breakfast classic, but with more heart-healthy nuts and whole grains. Sprinkle some unsweetened banana chips and walnut pieces into your granola, and top it with vanilla yogurt and a pinch of cinnamon. Perfect for autumn mornings!

5)      Tropical Twister: When we’re longing for paradise on blustery days, this granola really perks us up! Diced dried mango, diced dried pineapple and macadamia nut pieces carry us away to a more tropical state of mind. It’s really fantastic with coconut-flavored yogurt.

If you could make any granola flavor in the world, what would it be?

Today, we’re going to take the time to savor some smooth, sweet white chocolate treats. Why? It’s National White Chocolate Day, and by now you know that we’ll seize any opportunity to break into our store of sweets!

White chocolate, which is a mixture of cocoa butter, sugar and milk solids, isn’t true chocolate because it doesn’t contain chocolate liquor, but that doesn’t stop us from thoroughly enjoying it! It offers a nice break from ultra-rich milk and dark chocolate blends, and pairs really nicely with light, berry-based desserts as well as pumpkin-flavored treats that are so popular in autumn. In fact, one of our favorite treats to make for Thanksgiving is pumpkin cream cheese truffles, a delightfully rich and spicy dessert.

Of course, if you’re not up for a culinary adventure, we’ve got your back. NutsOnline offers a pretty fantastic assortment of white chocolate-drenched goodies, and we love to share!

Our decadent white chocolate almond bark is an old-fashioned favorite, with whole, crunchy almonds coated in silky, sweet white chocolate. Out white chocolate toffee cashews are uniquely buttery and rich. If you crave a little something different, our white chocolate gummy bears offer a sophisticated twist on a childhood favorite.

If you crave something that’s delightfully sweet and just a bit healthy, look no further than our white chocolate chip almonds, cashews and cacao nibs. This sprouted nut mix, tossed with agave and cacao butter, makes for a delicious treat that’s loaded with the live enzymes and nutrients that make nuts so delightfully good for you. Looking to save your sweet tooth? Sip on some of our white chocolate coffee, which has a smooth, distinctive white chocolate flavor.

What are some of your favorite white chocolate nibbles?

We love the great nutritional benefits that chia seeds can add to your diet. They’re a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, they increase hydration and they’ve been shown to help lower blood pressure and control blood sugar. To top it all off, they’re also gluten free.

Our whole chia seeds are among our bestselling products, but did you know that we also offer chia flour, which can be used to give baked goods a boost? You can also make your own chia flour from seeds you already have on hand, and include them in all kinds of yummy homemade treats.

To make chia flour, all you need to do is pour the seeds into a coffee grinder, powerful blender or food processor. Pulse the seeds until they’re finely ground and store the chia flour in an airtight container until you’re ready to use it. It should last a few weeks in a cool, dark spot in your kitchen.

Substituting chia flour for regular flour in a recipe is relatively simple. Some people just replace all of the flour with chia flour, and others use a combination of chia flour and regular or gluten-free flour. Using all chia flour is OK for doughs that tend to be a bit thick or gummy anyway, but for more solid mixtures like cookie dough, it’s best to use a combination of 1 part chia flour to 3 parts regular or gluten-free flour. Some solid gluten-free flour options include gluten-free all-purpose baking flour, almond flour and sweet rice flour, though we do offer a wide selection in our gluten-free baking section on NutsOnline.com.

Chia flour also makes a great egg substitute in vegan and vegetarian recipes. To make chia egg substitute, mix 2 tbsp. of chia flour with ½ cup of cold water and let it stand for about 30 minutes. That makes about ¼ cup of egg substitute, which can stand in for one egg in a recipe. Make sure you mix up enough substitute to replace all the eggs in your baked good, then add it at the appointed time in the recipe.

Have you ever worked with chia flour? What are some of your favorite ways to use it?

Now that it’s mid-September, we’re getting excited about fall treats. Spiced cider, caramel apples, candy corn…we love them all! However, our favorite treat is homemade apple crisp, made with fresh-picked autumn apples. It’s simple and delicious!

To start, get about five to eight of your favorite tart apples. Peel the apples, then thinly slice them. You’ll need about 6 cups of apples to make a heaping dish of apple crisp. Mix 1 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice and about ¼ cup of granulated sugar with the apples, and shake on some cinnamon and nutmeg. If desired, you can add about ½ cup of jumbo golden raisins or chopped pitted dates to the mixture as well. Spread the apples in the bottom of a greased glass baking dish or Dutch oven.

Fit your food processor with the mixing blade and add about 1 cup of white or whole-wheat flour, 1 cup of brown sugar, 2/3 cup of old-fashioned oats, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 ½ sticks of cold unsalted butter, a pinch of salt and 1 cup of chopped nuts. (such as pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds) Pulse the ingredients until the mixture is slightly crumbly and layer it on top of the apples.

Bake the apple crisp at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes, or until it’s golden brown on top. Transfer the dish to a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing it.

The best thing about this apple crisp recipe is that it also works well with other fall fruits, such as pears. It’s a bit heavy on the topping, and you can cut those ingredients in half if you’d rather sprinkle a single layer on top of the filling.

What’s your favorite autumn treat? Got any recipes that we just have to try?

Hi there, all! We know that we often cater to folks with special diets, and this week we get to celebrate an awesome bunch. It’s Vegetarian Awareness Week!

NutsOnline offers bunches of products that help vegetarians keep a well-rounded, healthy diet that’s packed with vitamins and nutrients. The best thing about vegetarian superfoods is that you don’t have to be a vegetarian to reap their benefits. They really ramp up the nutritional content of any diet. Here are three of our favorites!

1) Quinoa: Quinoa is an amazing superfood. It offers up all nine essential amino acids, is high in fiber, is gluten-free and is a fantastic source of source of phosphorous, magnesium and iron. One serving of quinoa also includes 7 grams of protein. We offer organic white quinoa, organic red quinoa and organic black quinoa, and all of our premium varieties come pre-rinsed and ready to cook.

2)  Walnuts: Walnuts are one of the most nutrient-dense sources of alpha-linolenic acid, which is an essential omega-3 fatty acid that can help reduce your risk for heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and clinical depression. Our raw, shelled English walnuts are tasty enough to pop in your mouth on the go if you need a quick snack.

3)  Lentils: Lentils are nutritional powerhouses. These little legumes pack tons of protein, folate, magnesium and B-vitamins. They also have a rich, flavorful texture that makes them great for soups, stews, casseroles and side dishes. Our colorful organic red lentils and organic green lentils will lend a bit of pop to any meal.

Want to learn more about vegetarian superfoods? We found this list at GoVeg.com to be incredibly helpful. What are some of your favorite superfoods? Do you have any bang-up vegetarian recipes you’d like to share?

Now that autumn is nearly upon us, we like to have food that’s hearty and quick on hand for rushed mornings. Breakfast cookies work for us! These slightly sweet cookies are packed with good-for-you oats, dried fruit and nuts. We like to add a sprinkling of a secret ingredient, too, just to keep things interesting!

Of all the breakfast cookie recipes we’ve tried, this one from Wise Bread is our favorite. The cookies are low on sugar and very moist. They freeze well, too, which makes them easy to grab and go just about any time!

Mash three peeled, overripe bananas in a large mixing bowl, then stir in 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce, 2 cups of instant oats, ¼ cup of milk, 1 tbsp. of sugar or honey, and 1 tsp. each of vanilla extract and cinnamon.

Add about ¼ cup each of nuts and dried fruit. You can choose anything you like as your mix-ins, but some of our favorites include sliced almonds, walnut pieces, chopped pitted dates, organic shredded coconut and jumbo golden raisins. For an extra nutrient boost, we also sprinkle in 2 to 3 tbsp. of our yummy premium chia seeds (they’re our secret ingredient of choice these days).

Allow the batter to sit for about five minutes, then scoop the cookie dough out into rounded teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet that’s been greased with cooking spray. Bake the breakfast cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, and let them cool on the baking sheet for about five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Cool the cookies completely and store them in an airtight plastic container. They’ll stay fresh for four to five days. If you want to freeze some for later, just pop them into a gallon-sized zip-top baggie and lay them flat in the freezer. They’ll keep for several months if frozen.

Do you have a favorite breakfast cookie recipe? What are some of your favorite mix-ins? Let us know!

Who’s up for a tropical treat? Saturday is National Macadamia Nut Day, and we’re getting a jump on the celebration! We just love our crisp, rich macadamia nuts, and we think you will, too.

Macadamia nuts were first discovered by European explorers in southeast Queensland, Australia. They became a commercial crop in Hawaii in the 1920s. Today, those Hawaiian-grown macadamia nuts are sold all over the world!

We offer quite a few different items that’ll fit right in this Saturday. Of course, our classic roasted unsalted macadamia nuts and roasted salted macadamia nuts are both customer favorites. Our raw organic macadamia nuts really showcase the natural sweetness and tender texture of the nuts. Our macadamia nut pieces are amazing additions to cookies, candy, muffins and cakes.

If you crave something a bit more luscious, we definitely recommend our chocolate covered macadamia nuts and our dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts. These decadent, chocolate-drenched treats are addictively amazing. We also include macadamia nuts in our supreme roasted mixed nuts, which is a premium assortment of our best offerings, roasted and salted to perfection.

Even pets can get in on the party this Saturday! We sell in-shell macadamia nuts that are perfect for pet tropical birds looking for a treat. They can be tough to crack, though, and humans will have a tough time breaking into them without a special nut cracker.

What’s your favorite macadamia nut treat?