So why am I thinking about Chia heads?
The annual holiday jingle that has haunted my brain … ch-ch-ch-chia. The pottery that grows.
I’ve seen the evolution of the Chia product line… The Chia pet became multiple Chia animals, then the Chia head and now there’s the Chia Shrek and Chia snowman.
But now. Oh, but now. There’s the Chia food.
Chia is an edible herb that’s showing up in health bars and as add-ons in yogurt and smoothies. It’s not just an amazing herb that grows on a variety of pottery scupltures anymore. It’s helping us stay healthy. Some say it is lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and helping with diabetes. Others just talk about that it’s high fiber and omega-3 fat content that’s like flax seeds.
What is odd to me, isn’t that Chia is healthy. No. What is odd is that the same company that haunted my inner-jingle as a child—and also is responsible for the Ove glove and the Clapper—has been pushing a healthy product and not talking about it. The company Joseph Enterprises has never tried to get FDA approval for their Chia Pets, so they can’t really promote them as a food. But that doesn’t mean we can’t choose to eat the sprouts from our little ch-ch-ch-Chia friends’ heads.
And while Chia—without the pottery—is pricier than some healthy foods, it’s not out-of-reach. A 16-ounce container is about $17 from Walgreens. So ch-ch-ch-chomp on your Chia Head’s hair. It’s ok. He’ll grow more.
