National Chia Day is a holiday that’s observed annually on March 23rd. This day celebrates the humble chia seed. These seeds are members of Salvia hispanica—a flowering plant in the mint family. This plant is native to central and southern Mexico, and its seeds are not only nutritious but are also capable of absorbing up to twelve times their weight in water. Those properties make chia seeds popular for adding to a variety of foods and beverages. So, if you’re looking to find out more about these little black seeds, or simply want an excuse to use more

The History of National Chia Day

National Chia Day was established in 2016 by Mamma Chia, a company that specializes in selling chia-based foods and beverages. They created this holiday to promote their chia seed line. The holiday continues to be celebrated by people all over the world.

Interesting Facts About Chia Seeds

Since we’re on the subject of chia seeds, we might as well talk about some of the facts that we’ve learned about them. So go ahead and grab some chia seeds to enjoy while you look over our list of interesting chia seed facts.

• The Aztecs and Mayans both consumed chia seeds to sustain themselves during prolonged battles.
• The Aztecs also used chia seeds as currency.
• When the Spanish conquered South America, they ordered the destruction of chia seed crops because the local people revered them.
• Salvia hispanica flowers are purple and white, and chia seeds come from these plants.
• Chia seeds have high levels of selenium.
• Salvia hispanica plants do not tolerate frost, so they need to be grown between 23 degrees north and 23 degrees south latitude.
• Some people sprout chia seeds by keeping them in wet paper towels for one week.
• Chia seeds have high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids.
• It has been reported that chia seeds can help people with type-2 diabetes regulate their blood sugar.
• Approximately 28 grams of chia seeds will provide a person with 30% of their required fiber intake.
• Chia seeds are naturally gluten-free.
• One serving of chia seeds provides a person with 10% of their daily protein requirements.
• Chia seeds provide 18% of a person’s daily required intake of calcium and 24% of the RDI for manganese.
• A serving of chia seeds also provides 24% of a person’s RDI for magnesium.
• People have referred to chia seeds as a superfood.
• Chia seeds do not need to be ground because their outer coating is easily digested.

Observing National Chia Day

National Chia Day can be observed simply by adding chia seeds to your diet in some way. Perhaps you can enjoy a chocolate-cashew chia pudding, granola bars made with chia seeds, or add them to yogurt cups. Chia seeds can also be added to cereal, peanut butter, or even shakes to add a little bit of nutrition to them. While you’re enjoying this holiday, be sure to use the hashtag #NationalChiaDay and let the world know how you eat chia seeds.