How to Make Your Own Mamma Chia
“Chia was once so treasured, the Aztecs used to deliver it to their king in homage. Aztec runners used to chomp chia seeds as they went into battle, and the Hopis fueled themselves on chia during their epic runs from Arizona to the Pacific Ocean.”
– Christopher McDougall in Born To Run
Ch-ch-ch-chia!
Chia Pets were the first thing I thought of when V rolled our cart in front of a sampling of Mamma Chia.
I thought people eat chia? … Chia? Remember this commercial?
Yet she slurped it down lickety-split and asked to try the grapefruit ginger flavor. Her instant pow caused me to pause and read the label a little deeper than allergens: More omega-3s than salmon, more antioxidants than blueberries, more fiber than oatmeal. And V likes this? Well … goodness in a bottle, and I snapped up three bottles to take home.
After $3.39 bottles of Mamma Chia became regular guests in our grocery cart, I got to thinking, could we make this? A quick Internet search lead to, why yes, yes we can.
BUY IT VS. MAKE IT
Effort
- Making your own chia seed drink is a snap. In under 10 minutes, you can produce a week’s worth of chia seed gel. It will keep in the fridge all week.
- You can get creative using the flavor combinations created by Mamma Chia or come up with your own. I simply toss a heaping spoonful of gel into my morning green juice.
Cost
Store bought
- 10-ounce bottle of Mamma Chia = $3.39
Homemade
- 10-ounce drink = $1.12
Here’s the breakdown of the homemade chia drink:
Chia seeds – there are about 1 tbsp of chia seeds in a 10-ounce drink
- One ounce of chia seeds = $1.06
- One tablespoon of chia seeds = .4 oz
- That’s .37 cents a tablespoon
Juice – I use about 7 ounces of juice in one 10-ounce drink
- 365 Honeycrisp apple juice (not from concentrate) = $0.106 ounce
- We’ve tried several different juices, but I’m sharing the most expensive just for comparison sake.
Total: $0.37 chia seeds + $0.742 juice = $1.12
Taste
Same, same. V said that our Honeycrisp version (her favorite apples) is the best. Although, we still snag a bottle (or two) of Mamma Chia on most grocery runs, so I’d wager we have work to do in the homemade department.
Verdict
Homemade wins! It’s a $2.27 savings per bottle and if you have this drink say, twice a week for 52 weeks, that’s a whole lotta savings. Save where you can, non?
Think you’ll try it? If so …
What You’ll Need
Recipe adapted from Mamanatural.com
- 1 cup of the juice of your choice
- 1 cup water
- 3 TB chia seeds (I bought them in the bulk section at Whole Foods)
What You’ll Do
- Warm your water. Pour a cup of water into a container, and add 3 TB of chia seeds. Stir well till the chia seeds are evenly dispersed and start to swell. Cover and put cup in the refrigerator. Let sit overnight.
- The next day, pull your container out of the fridge. The chia seeds absorb the water; they blow up in size and become gelatinous. (Mamma Chia is made with rehydrated chia seeds, so you want these seeds to absorb the water and puff up). Your “water” should now be a thick gel.
- Spoon 1/2 cup of your chia seed gel into a glass and add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the juice of your choice. Mix well. This recipe serves 4.
It’s that easy. Santé.
Are you hooked on Mamma Chia? Ever made your own?
Ciao for now.
Rudeysroom 
One Response to “How to Make Your Own Mamma Chia”
My sister has made her own.. and with that I try it out..but I love the flavors from Mama Chia.. so if I find a deal on the price .. I’ll get it..but I try to stick with making my own.