The Chia Co Black Chia, 5.3 Ounces

I have used up one and a half containers of this white chia seed, and am happy with the smoothies and puddings I've made with them, the nice packaging, and the uniform good condition and cleanliness of the seed, also. I am glad that I will be able to get it sent regularly in Subscribe and Save.Two tablespoons of chia seed a day has made it so that I have been losing weight slowly, but steadily for the last several months. A major problem for me has always been 'evenings'; I kept wanting to eat all evening it seemed. I believe it is the chia seeds that has helped curb my appetite during that danger period! This spring and summer each evening I've made a green smoothie with frozen spinach, plain yoghurt, apple juice, and fruit (sometimes chunky applesauce, or blueberries, pineapple and banana, and now new peaches, in various combinations. I start by putting 2 tablespoons of chia seeds in a cup of apple juice earlier in the day to let the seeds soften a few hours (but at least half an hour unless you like crunchy), then add 2 heaping tablespoons of nutritional yeast (I don't eat meat so that helps me get more B vitamins) and then the other ingredients as fast as my quite ancient blender can handle them. I like slushy smoothies, so I add maybe 6 or 8 cubes of ice and buzz it all up.For colder weather I will probably switch to chia puddings - I've used cocoa powder and want to try almond extract flavored milk for those - and ask around for other ideas for chia in my diet.

After reading about the benefits of Chia Seeds, I went to "Whole Foods" & found them in bulk - for the ridiculous price of $18.99 / lb. "Trader Joe's" sells a small bag for $5.00. I'm glad I found these on Amazon. At typical store prices, this container would cost over $40.00. While shopping around, I found that they are pretty much equally priced everywhere on the internet - if you figure shipping costs (if any). I've never understood why Chia Seeds are so expensive & Flax Seeds are so cheap.I make a "homemade" cereal for breakfast (much better than the processed cereals). I add Chia Seeds to almond or soy milk along with walnuts, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, diced apple & cinnamon. I'm still adjusting the dose because these seeds really soak up the liquid & turn it into a "pudding" quickly - even more so than flax seeds. I've also used Chia Seeds in an evening snack - with almond milk, sunflower seeds & cinnamon.The container it comes in is OK but rather fragile. I'm going to pour the seeds into one of those handy "OXO" containers with the push-button lid. That would probably keep the seeds fresher because there will be much less air in the container. The included scoop should be stored separately; it gets buried in the seeds if you leave it there.I also have to give Amazon five stars for customer service that is second to none. When I opened the box, Chia Seeds spilled everywhere because the container had broken open during shipment. An Amazon representative solved the problem during an online chat & I received a replacement THE NEXT DAY!!!

I have been purchasing this brand of white chia seeds for the past few years and it has been great...until today. When I opened my container, I found black specks as well (as mentioned by another reviewer) in what appears to be mouse poop! Not just one, but quite a few! Disgusting! I have just contacted the Chia Co to let them know of this issue and here is their response..."Thank you for reaching out and thanks for sending over the pictures we do see this from time to time with customers it is normal and is not mouse poop at all, we have an incredibly stringent quality process from bagging in our farms in Australia up to packing in retail units and can 100% guarantee that is not mouse droppings at all. From what you've shown this does look like a normal occurrence of chia fiber clumping. What happens is the fibers from the chia seeds detach and roll together during sorting and clump together in rod-like structures that you've found here. The rounded ends show us that these are indeed fiber clumps, whereas if it were a sign of pests the ends are pointed. Of course, we are happy to send you a postage-paid label and box if you wish for us to look at this further and confirm; let me know and I'll get that sent over soon, along with a replacement. The other possibility is that it is in fact Jute seeds which sometimes will mix in with the chia seed as they are a rotation crop used overseas in the farming process and are completely harmless as well it is simply a strong natural vegetable fiber."Great customer service, at least...But I will be returning this product to them for further investigation. Will provide updates later.

I love these chia seeds! Truthfully, I love most all chia seeds but hands down --- THESE ARE MY FAVORITE!!!I like that they're available tubs of white or black, which can be really handy for certain recipes. (Many chia seed brands come only mixed.) I discovered the Chia Seed Co while traveling and was lured into trying them for the first time by a friend who SWORE they made the best chocolate 'pudding'! My friend was SO right! Since that time, I've used these chia seeds in so many recipes and drinks. Now I really can't imagine not having them in my diet anymore. :-)What I also love is the passion John Foss put forth in this product. It's important to know how and where crops are grown these days. He blended skill and talent and then generously shared his product internationally. That's to be commended because it changed my health and life. Kudos to him and his team!