Ready for a delicious, easy chia seed pudding recipe? Let’s go!
Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia! Please tell me I’m not the only one who remembers those cute little terra-cotta creatures that would grow lush green “fur” when watered? Well, chia seeds have recently become way more famous for their health benefits than their former glory as infomercial pets.
Chia Seed Benefits
Chia seeds are members of the Salvia hispanica family, along with mint, and were considered an energy-boosting food to the ancient Aztecs and Mayans back in the day. In fact, “Chia” is the ancient Mayan word for strength.
These tiny black seeds are tasteless — and transform into a super filling gelatin type pudding when paired with a little liquid. And by the way, size doesn’t matter! Don’t be fooled by their tiny stature because these little guys pack a super powerful nutritional punch.
Not only are they filled with my favorite free-radical fighting antioxidants, a one ounce serving (two tablespoons) contains 11 grams of Fiber, 18% of the RDA for Calcium and four grams of Protein. Furthermore, they contain a generous amount of Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3 (Niacin)—and a single serving also contains as much Omega-3 fatty acids as 4 ounces of salmon.
Additionally, all that goodness only contains 137 calories and one gram of digestible carbohydrate making chia seeds one of the world’s best sources of several important nutrients, calorie for calorie.
And if that isn’t enough to tempt you to try these tiny superhero superfoods, here is my recipe for Blueberry Banana Chia Seed Pudding. Boom!
Blueberry Banana Chia Seed Pudding
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened almond, coconut or cashew milk
• 1 small banana chopped into small pieces
• 1 cup of fresh blueberries
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey
• Additional topping ideas: cacao nibs, walnuts, gogi berries, raspberries, coconut flakes.
Directions:
1) Blend 1 cup of blueberries and ½ tablespoon maple syrup or honey in a blender on low setting until smooth. You can add a little water if needed, but only add a little at a time! You want this blueberry mixture a bit thick.
2) Mix by hand the chia, almond milk, banana pieces, vanilla, and remaining maple syrup or honey until all of the chia clumps dissolve. I like to put mine in a mason jar and shake the hell out of it. 🙂
3) Then, pour the mixture into two containers or mason jars and drizzle blueberry puree throughout the chia mixture—make sure to leave some to drizzle on top.
4) Place containers in the fridge overnight to thicken.
5) Remove from fridge in the morning and add additional toppings if you’d like.
6) Eat and bliss out!
You’re welcome! 🙂
LOVE + Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia!
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