After a couple of years’ barefoot running, I’ve finally read Christopher McDougal’s Born to Run, the book that supposedly kicked off the whole un-shod running fad.

Regardless of your point of view and whether you think it’s just another way for attention seeking hipsters to get their fix, or if there’s actually some merit in it, McDougal’s book is well worth a read just for the gripping yarns, and titbits of outdoor info within.

One such titbit that seems to have been largely ignored by the outdoor community is the humble chia seed, one of the super foods that he says fuels the Tarahumara Indians on their ultra-distance running exploits. According to McDougal, a ‘tablespoon of chia is like a smoothie made from salmon, spinach, and human growth hormone’.

An ounce shot of chia Iskiate, contains nine per cent of your daily protein, 13g of (mostly ALA) fat and 42 per cent of your dietary fibre as well as essential minerals like phosphorous, manganese, calcium, potassium and much, much more.

Despite its somewhat ‘challenging’ texture (hence the nickname ‘frog spawn’) chia iskiate packs such a weighty nutritional punch – for a meagre weight – that it’s definitely worth throwing in the bag for your next mission.

Profile
Serves: One
Weight:  50g
Volume: 0.05l
Calories: 125
Cost: $0.25
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
1 tbsp Chia Seeds
1 tbsp Lime Juice
Water

Method
Pour a tablespoon of chia seeds and a tablespoon of lime juice into a short glass, add some warm water, then leave to stand for a few minutes (refrigerated if possible). Top the glass off with water then toss it down the hatch!