Chia pudding is probably the number one weirdest thing that I eat. It looks very strange and generally unappetizing when you see it without fruit, but it’s actually delicious and I strongly urge everyone to try it! After discovering that I can’t handle a lot of dairy in my diet, I have cut out almost all dairy. If I eat any dairy at all- it’s in very small quantities. Before making this discovery, I used to be an avid Greek yogurt eater. I would eat it pretty much every day. It’s something that I was very upset about cutting out of my diet and it was extremely difficult for me to find satisfying replacements. I tried a lot of non-dairy yogurts with no success. Finally, I tried So Delicious Coconut Greek yogurt and I really like it. The only problem is that it’s a lot more expensive than regular dairy yogurt, so it’s not economical for me to buy it all the time. Enter: Chia pudding. Chia pudding doesn’t taste like yogurt at all. It does however, have a nice cool, creamy texture and it pairs well with all kinds of fruit, just like yogurt. It’s very simple to prepare and the ingredients are relatively inexpensive. I made a batch on Sunday night and it lasted me three days. The basic ingredients are chia seeds and almond milk. The chia seeds soak up the almond milk and become enlarged and soft. When it’s set, the texture becomes similar to pudding. Chia seeds are among the healthiest foods on the planet. They deliver many nutrients in a small amount of calories. Chia seeds contain antioxidants, protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. They contain essential nutrients for bone health, like calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Chia pudding topped with fresh fruit is a wonderful option for breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, or even dessert.
Active Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 3 hours
Serves: 3
Ingredients: 2 cups unsweetened almond milk ½ cup chia seeds 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a container and wisk. The chia seeds will start to fall to the bottom. Refrigerate for an hour, then wisk again to re-distribute the chia seeds. Refrigerate another hour, and wisk again. Refrigerate one more hour (or overnight) or until set. Serve with fresh fruit.
NOTE: You MUST remove the chia pudding and stir it a few times or the chia seeds will not distribute properly and the pudding will not set.
(Conan is super interested in it–don’t worry, he didn’t eat any!)
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 201 Fat: 10g Carbs: 10g Protein: 9g Sodium: 107mg Sugar: 5g
*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.
NOTE: The nutrition information is based on using Nutiva Organic Chia Seeds.
