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| strawberry vanilla chia seed pudding |
Here are a few things that make chia seeds a nutritional powerhouse ...
A 1 ounce (28 grams) serving (about 2 Tbsp) of chia seeds contains:
- Fiber: 11 grams.
- Protein: 4 grams.
- Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s).
- Calcium: 18% of the RDA.
- Manganese: 30% of the RDA.
- Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.
- Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA.
Given my life-long desire to be "cool", I have tried to get in on this. Up until now, I have struggled to find a Yummy! way to make this happen.
Here is the basic recipe I "follow" ... 1 cup of milk to 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) chia seeds, sweeten to taste. Okay, it's not much of a recipe, more like a basic ratio. I use whole Milk as I want all that good fat, but any of the nut waters ... you might call them milk, but I ain't never seen nipples on an almond or a coconut ... and I am thinking about trying this with kefir, but the cost would be a deal breaker for me. I sweeten with aspartame, and yes I'm aware of the "risks" so spare me, sometimes in combination with a sugar-free flavored syrup (Torani, DaVinci, etc.). Additions/flavorings might include cocoa, cinnamon, fresh fruit, chopped nuts ... you get the idea.
I tried throwing the mix into our Ninja bullet-style blender but did not care for the results. I found small, 16 oz. Mason jars work really well. I stir everything into the jar shake really well and stick it in the fridge. It is key to go back regularly during the first hour or so and shake vigorously (cocoa generally will need stirring). Let set in fridge overnight at a minimum. The seeds swell, absorbing the liquid, turning the concoction into a tapioca-like pudding that, if you flavored it well, can be quite delicious. note: leave "headroom" as the seeds do expand, particularly if left for more than a day.
A normal desert serving would probably be 1/2 cup although I tend to eat the whole thing as a meal with a tablespoon or two of uncooked rolled oats stirred in just before eating.
Enjoy!