My daughter and I have been taking some small steps towards eating healthier this year by introducing more raw foods into our diet. While I would never be a Raw Food purist, it is wonderful to discover new ingredients that are a fun addition to everyday meals. I tend to eat smaller servings of food throughout the day, eschewing the traditional three course meal plans that I grew up with. A few of Katie’s friends are vegan and because of this we’ve discovered a whole world of new ingredients and recipes that I can’t wait to share with you here for the next few days. I’ve reorganized my menus at the top and you’ll see I’ve adding separate tabs for Gluten-Free and Vegan|Raw. Now you won’t have to search through my recipes to find these types of recipes!
We’ve had Chia Seeds in our pantry for a year or so, sprinkling them on cooked oats and granola and now we’ve discovered a lovely new treat that looks and tastes more calorie-rich than it actually is. Take a look at the Chia Seed’s nutritional profile from Wikipedia:
“According to the USDA, a one ounce (28 gram) serving of chia seeds contains 9 grams of fat, 5 milligrams of sodium, 11 grams of dietary fiber and 4 grams of protein. The seeds also have 18% of the recommended daily intake of calcium, 27% phosphorus and 30% manganese, similar in nutrient content to other edible seeds such as flax or sesame.”
You can sprinkle chia into your smoothies, stir it into yogurt or add it to your vegan energy bite recipes and best of all, because it is tasteless, it will take on any flavor you’re mixing it with. This little change will make your diet heart healthy, just in time for Heart Month!
There are so many variations you can mix up when making Chia Puddings. Once you catch on to the simplicity of them, you’ll be creating your own recipes in no time! You see, over night Chia Seeds will absorb liquids and become much like tapioca but with a satisfying little crunch. So shake them up with any liquid like almond milk or coconut milk, leave overnight and the next day you have a little healthy pudding!
We began with this simple Vanilla Pudding recipe, mixing them up individually, stirring the ingredients right in the cups from our yogurt machine. They’re the perfect size for 1/2 cup of almond milk plus the addition of two tablespoons { one ounce } of chia seeds means you’re getting all of the benefits you’ve just read about! The screw top lid makes them transportable as well.
We hope you give these a try, you’ll be surprised by how great they taste. I can’t wait to share with you our other variations on these nutritious little pudding cups!
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 2 tbsp white chia seeds
- 1/8 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tablespoon agave syrup, brown rice syrup or honey*
- cinnamon, to taste
- tiny pinch of nutmeg
- In a small cup, pour in 1/2 cup almond milk. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Screw the lid on and shake vigorously. If you are not vegan, honey adds a nice flavor.
- Refrigerate, shaking or stirring every now and then.
- The pudding could be set within three hours or so, but we left ours in the fridge over night to set.
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Good news for Canadian readers, it seems the Artful Blogging magazine is finally available at Chapters|Indigo, I hope you get the chance to pick up a copy and read my article! xx
Your chia pudding looks so much like tapioca pudding. Thanks for the color information I did not know the seeds come in different colors.
They’re very similar, smaller but with a crunch. I bet you could grow this plant:)
These little seeds have been on my must-try list for nearly six months. The almond milk and the fresh raspberries sound like a delicious pairing in this very healthy pudding. I may wander over to my local health food store to pick up these seeds and try your recipe this week!
There are tons of variations to suit every taste as well, I hoe you like it!
This looks great Smidge! It will be a wonderful dish when I get a sweet tooth! I bet even the kids will really enjoy this. As you know, we’ve been doing quite a bit of vegan and raw foods too. It’s so much fun learning new recipes and discovering new ingredients (although I’ll never be a purist either!). 🙂
I love chia pudding! This one sounds just lovely. Will try it!!!
xo
K
I hope you like it, Kathryn!xx
How lovely..so far, I have only added chia seeds into my granola and sprinkling them into my breakfast.have not eaten it in a pudding. What a great way to incorporate chia seeds into your diet!
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Good on you for trying to eat more ‘raw’. We’ve been trying to do the same in this house too. My daughter (just like yours) is very keen on trying to be healthy (but then she binges!) I love the look of this pudding. I have lots of chia seeds as my naturopath tells me I should be eating them and so this is a great way I could use them up xx
If you can believe.. mine is already planning ahead for summer and bikini season. Maybe that’s why I never got in shape in time, lol!
HECK YEA, you know I love this!! How delicious, and what a treat!
I know it, Brit!! xx
I am so glad your site is back and running 😀
Love your gorgeous pudding, raw but flavoursome and healthy!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks for giving me the heads up on Facebook as well. It was weird, some people could see but not comment, I just got an error message.
I too would like to introduce raw meals into my diet. I’m not into becoming raw/vegan, but every now and then would be a good idea. This looks like something I would enjoy and a great way to start!
I love working with chia seeds. I have been making an oatmeal, almond milk, banana, and chia seed concoction that can be put together the night before and then taken to work for my breakfast. I hadn’t thought of just making a simple pudding with the chia seeds. What a great idea! This would be so easy and very enjoyable. A nice little boost of protein, too! I need some cute little jars…they really make the presentation sweet! I, too, am trying to add in a few more vegan and raw recipes, Smidge! Thanks for your suggestions. 🙂
Barb what a wonderful idea! I have just discovered chia seeds as well and love them sprinkled over my morning yoghurt. This pudding would be such a healthy treat!
I’ve fallen head over heels in love with chia seeds lately, as a source of protein. This recipe looks so simple for some tasty pudding. I’ll have to whip up a batch tonight. Thanks for the awesome idea!
What a great idea, Barb! I need to borrow a page from your book. Rather than try to abruptly change my diet all at once, gradual steps is the way to go. Something as simple as this pudding is a great place to start. Though I’m not a breakfast person, I could definitely see myself enjoying a “jar o’ pudding” in the morning.