My Favorite Super-Food: Chia Seeds (plus pumpkin spice chia seed pudding)

When most people think of chia seeds the usually think of the “cha-cha-cha-chia” commercials on tv but not everyone  thinks of them as a superfood.  Here’s why they’re thought of as a super-food:

1. They contain more omega-3 fatty acids then flax seeds and even salmon.
2. They contain more antioxidants then blueberries.
3. They can be stored for long periods of time without going bad due to their high antioxidant levels.
4. They don’t need to be ground to be digested like flax seeds do.
5. They’re higher in calcium then 2% milk.
6. Just 1 tbsp contains 3g of protein.
7. They’re higher in fibre then bran flakes.
8. They help lower cholesterol.
9. They help reduce cravings.

After discovering these things I thought I would I try making chia seed pudding.  The first bowl I made turned out terrible.  I couldn’t understand why so many people liked it but thought there had to be a reason so I decided to give it one more try.  I actually gave it a few more tries, testing out different recipes I found on-line.  Most of the recipes I tried made a firm pudding, a slimy,almost solid pudding, which I thought was rather nasty.  I finally came up with my own recipe for chia seed pudding.  It has a smoother consistency, more like real pudding, but so much healthier.  I think you’ll all like it.

Pumpkin Spice Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients:

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 1/2 tbsp canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 cup almond milk (or other milk)

1-2 tsp agave or maple syrup

a pinch of all-spice (about 1/8 tsp)

a pinch of ground cloves (about 1/8 tsp)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

a pinch of salt

Directions:

Mix together the pumpkin, milk, syrup, salt and spices.  Next add chia seeds to the liquid mixture and whisk.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes before eating.  Serve cold.  Makes one serving.

About these ads