Hello Fellow Seeker of Abundance,
If you’ve never heard of chia pudding, you’re missing out! Chia pudding is a fun way to mix up the routine. It makes a great breakfast, snack, or even a dessert. Not only is it delectable, but it can pack a serious nutrient rich punch depending on how you prepare it! Best of all, it’s easy to tailor to all of our favorite diets: anti-inflammatory, vegan, fertility, keto, gluten-free, and low-carb. I’m going to give you the simple recipe, as well as a list of my favorite add-ins and some of their health benefits! The two key ingredients in chia pudding are chia seeds and any milk in a 1:4 ratio (i.e. 1/2 cup chia seeds and 2 cups almond milk). This is a good ratio in general, but if you find your pudding isn't becoming thick enough, simple add more chia seeds and allow them to expand. You can repeat this process as necessary until desired consistency is reached. Almond milk is a great low calorie, low sugar milk that is a good source of calcium, and usually my milk of choice for an everyday type of chia pudding.
Another fun thing to do is make a puree and add that in with the milk and chia seeds for a gorgeous pop of color and an added burst of flavor! A good topical puree with mango and passion fruit, or a mixed berry puree are some of my favorites, but the possibilities are endless. Another enjoyable way to prepare you chia pudding, is by using canned coconut milk! I like to do it this way for dessert!
When preparing your chia pudding, you can prepare it as simple or extravagant as you’d like! Simple, would be mixing a spoonful of maple syrup with your almond milk and chia seeds, and once it’s prepared eating it as is, or adding some fresh fruit on top. A more extravagant way of preparing it would be to make a parfait! Sometimes I will make a chocolate batch and a vanilla batch, lay a layer of chocolate chia pudding, a layer of bananas, vanilla chia pudding, bananas, another layer of chocolate chia pudding and top with cocoa nibs, walnuts, and coconut flakes. Such a satisfying treat that will supply you with the energy and nutrients you need to get going.
Ok, now that you’ve got the basics down, let’s dive into some of My Favorite Mix-Ins:
My Favorite Mix-Ins: Banana Walnuts Cacao Powder Cacao Nibs Coconut Flakes Vanilla Extract Almond Extract Maple Syrup Agave Berries Sweet Potato Ready to explore the health benefits* of some of my favorite mix-ins? Let’s get to it!
Cacao
Cacao is one of my go-to’s to add to chia pudding, especially when I make it as a breakfast dish. I like to buy cacao powder and mix it in with the almond milk, and I like to buy cacao nibs to sprinkle over the top because they have the most satisfying crunch of nearly anything I’ve ever eaten!
Health Benefits of Cacao:
-combats fatigue
-improves mood & balances mood swings (natural anti-depressant)
-makes your skin glow
-prevents premature aging
-combats tooth decay
-improves digestion
-soothes coughing fits
-improves brain function
-improves heart health
-highest source of plant-based iron
-more calcium than cows milk
-40 times the antioxidants as blueberries
What an impressive list for just one ingredient, right? Doesn’t it just make you want to consume all that’s good? I love learning about what my food is doing for my body; it has such a healthy spiral effect into my mind! I feels good to accomplish something, and when you fuel your body with the nutrients it needs you are accomplishing so much! I don’t know about you, but I want my body to carry me though life with as much ease as possible! If you take care of your body, it will take care of you. Sometimes it’s easy, and sometimes it feels like work. For the days that it feels like work I love to have some understanding to remember why. Why do I practice this discipline of clean eating as much as I can? Oh yea, because I want to feel good in this life!
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is the main sweetener I use in all of my cooking. I never use white cane sugar— I’m not even sure I own it! Cutting sugar overall can be hard, but an easy first step is cutting processed/refined sugar. Try transitioning to natural sweeteners like honey, agave, maple syrup, and coconut sugar. It’s an easy life change! Sugar as a whole is not great for the body, however, refined sugar is stripped of many of the other minerals and nutrients these alternatives have. A few reasons I choose maple syrup as my sweetener of choice?
-contains antioxidants
-fights inflammatory diseases
-protects and promotes healthy skin
-better for digestion
-contains zinc and manganese
-contains potassium and calcium
-support heart health
-strengthens the immune system
Pretty solid list for a sweetener! Of course we should limit our sugar intake as a whole, but used in moderated amounts, pure maple syrup is a beneficial addition to your diet!
Berries
We all know that berries are a great addition to our diets for their antioxidant value, but they bring a lot more to the table!
-may help improve blood sugar
-help fight inflammation
-packed with antioxidants
-rich in fiber
-help to reduce cholesterol levels
-good for your skin
-help prevent mental decline
-aid in weightless
-prevent heart disease
Another interesting benefit of blueberries in particular, is they can be frozen without removing any of their antioxidants! Many fruits and vegetables lose some of their nutritional value when you freeze them, so this is noteworthy!
Chia seeds
We can’t forget our star of the show! Chia seeds are impressive for a number of reasons, and to boot they carry a lot of nutrients without a lot of calories. They come from the Salvia Hispanica plant, which is in the mint family. The word “chia” actually comes from the ancient Mayan word meaning “strength”. These little guys are packed with nutrients, in addition to this list of benefits:
-High in antioxidants
-fiber rich
-high quality protein
-can aid in weight-loss
-high in Omega-3 fatty acids
-may lower your risk of heart disease
-support healthy bones
-may reduce blood sugar levels
-may reduce chronic inflammation
It is important to note, that though they are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, Omega-3 fatty acids are best absorbed in the body through oils and fish, and plant based sources may bot be as well absorbed. You do however, still absorb part of it, just not as much as it may seem with the outstanding levels of Omega-3s they contain.
I hope this was helpful to get you started making your own chia pudding creations! I will provide a simple Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding Recipe here, but stay tuned for more elaborate recipes in future blogs. Also, please feel free to share your favorite mix-in and toppings, or any requests for recipes including certain ingredients you would like to see in the comments!
Simple Vanilla Chia Pudding Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups almond milk
1/2 cup chia seeds
1 tbsp maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Mix all of your ingredients together
2. Refrigerate overnight (or at least 2 hours)
3. Top with your favorite topping, or enjoy as it!
Nutrition Facts
(Per Serving)
Servings: 4
Calories per serving: 168
Total Fat: 10.1 g
Total Carbohydrates: 15.9 g
Protein: 5.1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 60.2 mg
Fiber: 10.1 g
Sugar: 3.3g
Calcium: 197%
Iron: 2.2%
Potassium: 144.1 mg
Vitamin A: 5%
Vitamin C: 0.4%
Thank you for reading and enjoy! Keep fighting the good fight, abundance is coming!
Lots of love,
Sincerely,
Jes
*Please note: I'm not a doctor, if you're suffering from serious health issues please seek professional help. This information is from public research.
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