Healthy Snacking With Chia-The Indian Way

Functional foods, majorly snacks, have gained tremendous attention worldwide over the past few years due to the trend of healthy lifestyle. Snacks are one of the most popular conveniences, ready-to-eat, easy-to-carry, easy-to-store products consumed by all age groups.

- Shruti Puri and Loveleen Kaur Sarao

Snacks can be considered as a better vehicle for fortification and enrichment with chia seeds. Chia is the common name for some species of Salvia, among which Salvia columbariae, Salvia hispanica, and Salvia polystachyaare the most important. Chia is native to Mexico. Chia is prominently grown for its seeds & has widely been used as a whole seed, seed flour, seed mucilage, and seed oil. Chia seeds are composed of protein (15-25%), fat (30-33%), carbohydrates (26-41%), high dietary fiber (18-30%), ash (4-5%), minerals, vitamins and dry matter (90-93%). The seed also consists of high amount of antioxidants. The seed contains 25 to 40% oil with 60% of it comprising (omega) ω-3 α-linoleic acid and 20% of (omega) ω-6 linoleic acid. Both these essential fatty acids are required by human body for good health. In 2000, the US Dietary Guidelines recommended that the use of chia seed can be done as a primary food not exceeding 48g/day.

Snacks, majorly “matthi” is widely accepted and consumed in developing countries. Traditionally, matthi is made from wheat flour. Matthi is a Rajasthani snack. Matthi is a kind of flaky biscuit from northwest region of India