Chia Goodness and an Interview with Ruth of Ruth’s Hemp Foods

New Chia Goodness – available at Whole Foods throughout the U.S and Canada, is an easy, no cook breakfast cereal.  Available in three flavors (Original, Cranberry Ginger, Apple Almond Cinnamon and Chocolate on the way) this delicious raw instant cereal combines chia with hulled hemp seeds, buckwheat, Celtic Sea Salt^®, fruit and nuts.   Just add liquid (hot or cold water or milk, or juice), and within minutes, Chia Goodness thickens and is ready to eat.  It can also be mixed with yogurt, fruit, used as a topping or added to recipes.  www.ruthshempfoods.com.

I haven’t tried Chia Goodness yet, But have Mix My Own Granola, and added Chia seeds to it.  Good stuff!  I was lucky enough to be able to snag an interview with Ruth, of RuthsHempFoods!  here is what I asked Ruth, and her answers.  Please enjoy!

Ruth how did your first learn about the Chia seed being so good for us nutritionally?

In the early ‘90’s I was reading Udo Erasmus’ book, Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, while researching hemp.  I saw a table that compared the Omega fatty acids in various seeds, and noticed that chia had a very high amount of Omega 3.  At the time, I was pretty busy pursuing hemp, so I just filed that away.

Much later, I came across little bag of chia in a market, and wanted to experiment with it.

What is the benefit of adding Chia Goodness to our American Diets?

There are so many!

• Excellent dairy-free source of calcium
• Loads of Omega 3 (most of your daily requirement)
• 18% of your daily fiber in just 2 tablespoons
• Super convenient
• Gluten-free
• Low glycemic

Can you better explain what low Glycemic means?

Low Glycemic foods have less impact on your blood glucose levels, or put another way, they are less likely to cause a spike in your blood sugar levels.  What does up must come down, and a sharp increase in these levels will mean a crash soon after.  For normal activity, sustained release is far more desirable, to avoid mood and energy swings.

What do you mix your Chia Goodness with?  Milk? Rice milk, Soy?

When I’m at home, I eat the Original flavour of Chia Goodness.  It’s very boring and best dressed up with fruit.  I like to add sliced bananas, berries or at the moment, fresh peaches, then add hot water to thicken it.  The warm fruit tastes divine.

However I travel a lot, and my favourite thing on the road is to get an extra 1/3 cup hot milk when I’m getting a coffee, and stir in the Apple Almond flavour.  Minutes later, I have a fantastic breakfast.

And of course now, I’m completely in love with the new Chocolate flavour, which will hit the market in about a month.  My favourite dessert or late night snack is Chocolate Chia Goodness with hot water, topped with a tiny drizzle of almond milk or cream.  It’s too good!

I often give out samples of Chia Goodness at shows, and we always use Vanilla Almond milk – sweetened or not. Everyone loves that, whether or not they eat dairy.

I see the serving size is only two tablespoons most cereals at at least a cup, will this really fill me up?

Yes.  I know it sounds crazy, but it thickens considerably in liquid, and is so fiber- and nutrient-dense, that it’s very filling.   You’ll be surprised!

Would you say that Chia Raw Goodness is comparable or better then Flax?

For your readers, let’s explain that Raw Goodness is just plain chia – not the same as Chia Goodness cereal.

Chia is quite different than flax:  more Omega 3, more soluble and digestible, more calcium and iron.  I think there’s no contest really, chia wins!

Since you carry a lot of Hemp products can you tell me the nutritional value of hemp?  And why it would benefit American’s to add it to their diet?

Hemp is a fabulous source of protein, (much better than chia).  It contains complete protein, and so is a good replacement for meat, with 5 grams of protein in a single tablespoon of shelled hemp seed, which we call SoftHemp.  As well, it contains Omega fatty acids and lots of vitamin E and magnesium.

Can you tell me why your Hemp Bars are better then the leading “energy” bars on the market?

Many of the leading “energy” bars are good examples of high glycemic foods:  they are quite sweet and excellent if you need a boost because you’re in a race or extremely high energy situation.  However if you need longer lasting energy, you’ll probably like my not too sweet bars better.  And ours have a more varied texture, with lots of nuts and seeds as well as fruit.

And lastly, if there was one product that all American’s could add into their diet from Ruth’s Hemp Foods, what would you suggest it be?

I would have to hand that to Chia Goodness.  It’s ready within minutes with no cooking, so it’s ultra convenient.  It’s gluten-free and dairy-free.  It’s a great source of nutrients.  And the tapioca-like quality makes Chia Goodness the perfect comfort food!