Chia seeds are tiny black seeds from the plant Salvia hispanica, which is related to the mint. Chia seeds were an important food for the Aztecs and Mayans back in the day. They prized them for their ability to provide sustainable energy. In fact, "chia" is the ancient Mayan word for "strength." Despite their ancient history as a dietary staple, chia seeds became recognized as a modern-day superfood only recently. In the past few years, they have exploded in popularity and are now consumed by health conscious people all over the world. Don't be fooled by the size — these tiny seeds pack a powerful nutritional punch. A one-ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds contains (1):

• Fiber: 11 grams.
• Protein: 4 grams.
• Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are omega-3s).
• Calcium: 18% of the RDI.
• Manganese: 30% of the RDI.
• Magnesium: 30% of the RDI.
• Phosphorus: 27% of the RDI.
• They also contain a decent amount of zinc, vitamin B3 (niacin), potassium, vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin B2.

This is particularly impressive considering that this is just a single ounce, equalling 28 grams or about two tablespoons. This small amount supplies only 137 calories and one gram of digestible carbohydrate. Interestingly, if you subtract the fiber — most of which doesn’t end up as usable calories for your body — chia seeds only contain 101 calories per ounce (28 grams). This makes them one of the world's best sources of several important nutrients, calorie for calorie. To top things off, chia seeds are a whole-grain food, usually grown organically. Plus, they’re non-GMO and naturally free of gluten.