Sometimes our sweet tooth challenges our desire to maintain a healthy diet. As an active mom and lover of the outdoors, Audrey Martinez understands. In fact, this very dilemma inspired her to begin Audrey’s Chia Cookies, a locally grown business that strives to provide satisfying better-for-you snacks. To accomplish this, Martinez packed crispy cookies with chia seeds, a superfood filled with energizing nutrients. We reached out to Martinez to learn more about the benefits of her cookies and ambitions as a business owner and health-enthusiast.
AFM: What inspired the start of Audrey’s Chia Cookies?
AM: I became obsessed with chia seeds when I decided to run a marathon for my 50th birthday and started researching the best foods to keep me fueled during the runs. I tested it by using chia for one week during training and then I would go one week without it. The days that I used chia, I felt so much more energized and felt like I could keep going for longer periods of time. I began to notice the other benefits of chia such as digestive regularity, healthier hair and nails, mental clarity, etc. That’s when I became a true believer in the power of chia. I wanted everybody to experience these benefits and decided to put them in my favorite snack – thin crispy cookies. A lot of people don’t know what to do with chia, and who doesn’t eat cookies (at least once in a while)? I figured this would be the best way to get the largest number of people to reap the benefits of chia.
AFM: What’s your business mission? Your own mission?
AM: We would like to get as many people as possible to eat chia seeds for all the health benefits this mighty superfood offers. Health and happiness go hand in hand, so we feel that our delicious cookies are a great way to help accomplish both. Another important thing to me is to get rid of the bad ingredients, such as chemical preservatives and corn syrup. I would like to clean up our food choices and see all people reaching for the better-for-you options.
AFM: Why chia seeds?
AM: Chia seeds are the most nutrient-dense seed there is. It has so many important health benefits, in fact, too many to list, but you can visit our website at www.AudreysChia.com and learn more about what chia offers. One of the great things about chia is that it doesn’t have any flavor, so you can add it to just about anything without changing the flavor.
AFM: How did you go about creating such a delicious, healthy recipe?
AM: Well, the most important thing to me was to pack in as many chia seeds as possible. After that, I wanted to make sure the cookies were thin and crispy, or like a shortbread texture because that’s my biggest weakness when it comes to snacking. My favorite flavor is peanut butter, and everyone loves chocolate chip, so that part was easy. Then I got in contact with a local chef who suggested the other flavors and perfected the recipes for me.
AFM: Where do you see yourself in the future?
AM: I would like to extend our line of better-for-you options by creating more cookie flavors and other chia snacks.
AFM: Where do you see your business in the future?
AM: We’re currently in approximately 400 stores across the U.S., and I would like to see our distribution expand quite a bit, especially in the West.
AFM: What is the most popular bag and where can we get some?
AM: We sell the most of chocolate chip, but when we do sampling in the stores, the most popular flavor is usually the lemon with almond being a close second. In Arizona, you can find us at AJ’s Fine Foods, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Fry’s on the local products shelf, and several independent stores. You can also find us online at Amazon and on our website. If you would like to enjoy 15 percent off from our website, you can use discount code #1CHIA (one time use per customer).
AFM: Is there anything else we should know about Audrey’s Chia Cookies?
AM: We value our community and one of the ways we show that is by supporting Girls on the Run charity. This organization is close to my heart because it supports young girls to grow up to be their healthiest, most confident selves, which includes a celebratory 5K run each year. I love this.
Interview by Aubrey Martin
