Anti-inflammatory Blueberry Chia Jam

Seeds are one of my favorite ways to sneak a little more nutrition into your day!

Some get more attention than others, but I’m a believer that all seeds are good seeds.

There are multiple studies to show that seeds are some of the most nutrient dense foods around and some may even have a small beneficial effect on your hormone health.

Benefits of CHIA Seeds:

• Chia seeds are a serious nutritional powerhouse. They’re an excellent source of calcium, fiber, antioxidants, and contain more omega-3's than salmon. Not bad for a tiny seed.!

Benefits of Blueberries

Blueberries add even more of an antioxidant boost! The deep blue color in blueberries makes them one of the most concentrated sources of antioxidants on the planet. Plus they are rich in vitamin C AND absolutely delicious so that’s a win in my book.

Smaller is better in this case so go for those tiny wild blueberries rather than the big juicy ones for less sugar and more inflammation fighting polyphenols.

Let’s Make the Jam!

This 5-minute blueberry chia jam is a great way to use up your freezer stash of blueberries and a tasty way to get more seeds into your diet.

For this recipe I used blueberries, but use whatever berries you have on hand and feel free to mix and match to your heart’s desire!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (or your favorite berries)

• 2-3 T pure maple syrup, to taste (or sub other liquid sweetener)

• Juice and zest from a lemon

• 2 T chia seeds

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the berries and sweetener to a low boil. Lightly mash the blueberries with a fork then stir in the chia seeds and continue to cook until it begins to thicken.

Stir frequently.

Once desired thickness, stir in the vanilla, lemon juice and zest. and serve.

Serving Suggestions

I love throwing a scoop of this blueberry chia jam on top of toast, in yogurt bowls and even as a pie filling!

Whatever you use it in, I promise it’s delicious!