Chia Pudding

Cha-cha Chia!  Gone are the days we put chia seeds on a head and watched the hair grow! That hair was wasted sprouts of energy!  Instead, incorporate chia seeds into your recipe repertoire!  They can be added to smoothies, yogurt, sprinkled on your oatmeal, used in breads, or made into this pudding!  Chia seeds thicken a liquid once mixed in, so this pudding will get thicker the longer it sits.

While it may not be the prettiest pudding in town, it’s full of calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, no refined & low in sugar.  This pudding is no slacker, giving you a healthy break from all those sweets you’ve been eating over the holidays at the office!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of milk (we used lactose free skim, but any will work; ex. almond, or low fat coconut milk would be great too)
• 1/2 cup of chia seed (you can start with 1/2 cup and if it doesn’t thicken enough overnight for you, dump in an extra 1/4 cup)
• zest of an organic lemon* or orange
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• toppings: crushed pistachios, almonds, fresh mango, and/or pomegranate seeds

*we always recommend using organic when possible, especially for zesting, as harmful pesticides are higher in concentration on vegetable skins

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients, except toppings, into a jar or easy to shake container (we used a Ball canning jar
2. Shake and let sit overnight
3. Shake before eating and serve topped with your choice of fresh fruit and/or nuts.  Great as an alternative to your morning yogurt or as a healthy evening dessert!
4. Keeps for 3-4 days (it will continue to thicken, and you can add additional milk to thin out)

Nutritional Benefits:

• No refined sugar, very low in sugar: great for diabetes
• High in Calcium: 126% in entire recipe and Vitamin D: essential for bone & tooth strength
• Potassium: 1177% of daily value in entire recipe
• High in omega-3 fatty acids: great for heart health
• High in Fiber-10 g/serving!!!-that’s without your fruit topping
• Low in Fat: great for heart health
• Can be made vegan &/or lactose free by using almond, soy, hemp milk, or lactose free milk
• When topped with pomegranate or orange slices; this can be a great source of Vitamin C; a vitamin that increases immune health/function
• Pomegranates: are high in phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, zinc and iron making them an ideal super tooth food! They lower cholesterol and break down plaque in arteries, fight certain types of cancer-especially prostate and breast cancer, anti-inflammatory, prevents osteoporosis and additional bone loss (helps with periodontal disease), improves skin quality-WOW! Definitely a great topper for your pudding

Chia Pudding

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Chia Pudding: high in calcium, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. Low in sigar and made without refined sugar

Author: www.gardenfreshfoodie.com

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2½ cups of milk (we used lactose free skim, but any will work; ex. almond, or low fat coconut milk would be great too)
• ½ cup of chia seed (you can start with ½ cup and if it doesn't thicken enough overnight for you, dump in an extra ¼ cup)
• zest of an organic lemon* or orange
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• toppings: crushed pistachios, almonds, fresh mango, and/or pomegranate seeds
• *we always recommend using organic when possible, especially for zesting, as harmful pesticides are higher in concentration on vegetable skins

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients, except toppings, into a jar or easy to shake container (we used a Ball canning jar
2. Shake and let sit overnight
3. Shake before eating and serve topped with your choice of fresh fruit and/or nuts. Great as an alternative to your morning yogurt or as a healthy evening dessert!
4. Keeps for 3-4 days (it will continue to thicken, and you can add additional milk to thin out)

Notes

Nutritional Information-makes 4 servings based on using skim milk

Nutrition Information

Calories: 200 Fat: 9 g Carbohydrates: 24 g Fiber: 10 g Protein: 11 g

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