Cha-Cha-Cha-CHIA!!! Clean Chia Pudding Recipe!
Last week I got a box of goodies from GNC and was soooooo happy to find chia seeds!!! I’ve been reading about them on other healthy living blogger’s sites for a long while now but never had the chance to go get some myself. Since I have never cooked with them before, I was up all night browsing recipes for things I could make with chia. I ended up choosing chia pudding. It seemed to be the most popular thing and soooo easy to make. That’s great because I am NOT a great baker as you guys know! I’m more of a sauté, boil, ‘n steam kinda girl 😛
Before we get started just want to quickly list the benefits of chia and why you should be eating them!
“Chia is an edible seed that comes from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family that grows abundantly in southern Mexico. You may have seen chia sprouts growing on the novelty planters called Chia Pets, but historically, the seeds have been the most important part of the plant. In pre-Columbian times they were a main component of the Aztec and Mayan diets and were the basic survival ration of Aztec warriors. I’ve read that one tablespoon was believed to sustain an individual for 24 hours. The Aztecs also used chia medicinally to stimulate saliva flow and to relieve joint pain and sore skin.
Chia is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than flax seeds. And it has another advantage over flax: chia is so rich in antioxidants that the seeds don’t deteriorate and can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid. And, unlike flax, they do not have to be ground to make their nutrients available to the body. Chia seeds also provide fiber (25 grams give you 6.9 grams of fiber) as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.
Another advantage: when added to water and allowed to sit for 30 minutes, chia forms a gel. Researchers suggest that this reaction also takes place in the stomach, slowing the process by which digestive enzymes break down carbohydrates and convert them into sugar.”
Ahh wonderful. So that last part. The part where it forms a gel. I was so excited to create this quick pudding with just TWO INGREDIENTS!!! 2 heaping tablespoons of chia sees plus 1 cup of organic vanilla soy milk! That’s it!
Check out those lil guys. Aren’t they cute? I’d def sprinkle this over some salad for a nutritional crunch! All I did was add the seeds into the milk, stir for a couple minutes, and then I let it sit in the fridge for about 20-30 min.
When it came out, I was so satisfied to see that the seeds had expanded and created that gel like texture everyone was talking about!!! So cool!!! So I put my new creation in a martini cup, added a few mint leaves from my garden for pizazz and some pomegranate seeds for holiday dazzle.
The pudding was so GOOD!!!! Some other bloggers suggested adding vanilla extract and Stevia, but honestly, I think it was great just like this. The vanilla in my soy milk provided just enough sweetness. The best part was the subtle crunch I got when I was eating the spoonfuls of pudding. You guys will def love this. So simple. So good.
NUTRITION FACTS FOR CHIA SEEDS (per tablespoon): 68 cals, 4.5g fat, 6g carbs, 5.1g fiber, 2g protein
NUTRITION FACTS FOR CHIA PUDDING: 236 cals, 12.5g fat, 22g carbs, 11.2g fiber, 10g protein
Thanks to GNC for sending me the Chia seeds! You guys can check them out here on GNC’s website or at your local health food store (Trader Joes or Whole Foods are your best bet)! Seriously, go make some for your holiday dinner parties and add some fruit and things to make it more “desserty”. I think you will wow your fam and friends! Oh and mint leaves are key. Even if you don’t eat them 🙂
DISCLAIMER: FitFluential LLC compensated me for this sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
34 thoughts on “Cha-Cha-Cha-CHIA!!! Clean Chia Pudding Recipe!”
There are 34 comments posted by our users.
Hiya I tried this out many times and I add a little bit of honey or agave nectar if you are using unsweetened soy milk or diary milk. I love adding coconut to it while its refrigerating. Other than that it is absolute perfection!
I am going try this with coconut milk 🙂
I tried this with almond milk and I thought it tasted terrible. I had to pour it out. I don’t think it was the milk and I don’t have bad chia.
Maybe it was the milk. If you have unsweetened almond milk (Vanilla or regular) It wouldn’t be as good. Maybe add some stevia and/or vanilla extract!
I have since figured out that my issue was using ground chia seed. It seems the ground version does not gel up and has a terrible taste. Using whole chia seed this works out great and tastes good even with unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I even eat it with just water. Its tasteless that way.
Can i substitute chia seeds with flaxseeds?
The Chia I have has 8 fewer calories per tbsp. So with my unsweetened vanilla almondmilk it turns out to be: 150 calories! 120 for the Chia seed and 30 calories for the milk. Only 5 grams of carbs from the seed. Being this low you could actually double the recipe and have more to put in your belly.
Chia can also be used as a butter replacement since it does absorb liquid and expand. Add a bit of water and you don’t need any peanut butter. It’s also a very good protein source
Chia is great and healthy to add to your diet. BUT there is a negligible amount of iron if any at all so don’t expect many other vitamins or minerals from it.
Nutrient content and food uses:
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,[7] similar in nutrient content to other edible seeds such as flax or sesame.[9][10] Although preliminary research indicates potential for dietary health benefits, this work remains sparse and inconclusive.[11]
In 2009, the European Union approved chia seeds as a novel food, allowing up to 5% of a bread product’s total matter.[12]
Chia seeds may be added to other foods as a topping or put into smoothies, breakfast cereals, energy bars, yogurt, made into a gelatin-like substance, or consumed raw.[13][14]
Preliminary research[edit]
One pilot study found that 10 weeks ingestion of 25 grams per day of milled chia seeds, compared to intact seeds, produced higher blood levels of alpha-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, an omega-3 long-chain fatty acid considered good for the heart, while having no effect on inflammation or disease risk factors.[15][16]
Good for the heart, no study yet says it helps weight loss on its own, but if you are eating this because you are eating healthy then weight loss will be a happy side effect! Enjoy and good luck 🙂
Will this work with regular skim milk?
Would this work with almond milk or does it have to be soy milk?
I’ve made this recipe with almond milk before and it turns out just as great! I really think you can use any type of milk you want, though
I tried this and is soooo goood 🙂 Since I was hungry soon after I tried next: after soaking chia in soy milk, I put all in blender and added 2 bananas – then I was really feeling full 🙂
I put some spinach,small splash of (coconut) water and half a banana in a blender and pour it in a bowl with some chia seeds. Next morning I add some greek yoghurt and top it with fresh fruit. It’s a really delicious breakfast and I sneak in some greens for extra nutrition. Looks a bit strange, but it tastes great!
big fan of chia seeds this is a great and simple way to incorporate them into a a snack. I usually use them in oatmeal 🙂 YUM!
I tried this last night, ate it this morning seriously one of my new favorite recipes ever!!! So easy too!
aren’t those pomagrantes well I think that’s what I call them, or are those something else???
Hey, is there a reason mine never thickened??
I had that too. So i added oats… and put it in the microwave haha.
I love Chia seeds. I get mine at HEB. I like to take a while wheat tortilla and spread peanut butter on it, add a banana, sprinkle chia seeds on it, then roll it up and eat it. It’s so easy, good, and filling.
I saw your mention of HEB. Fellow Texan! 🙂
I’ve been loving chia seeds lately and have been making a delicious chia seed drink which I made a HOW TO video of on my youtube channel here: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FMFCBlkx0dM
YUM! I made something very similar, only I used almond milk and added chocolate protein powder. I’ve been munching on it for nearly two hours!
I hope my local GNC store has these. My husband was looking at a fitness mag at the gym and mentioned Chia seeds yesterday. I said, “OMG! Cassey has a Chia recipe on her website so we have to try it.” And today, well, you have Chia Pudding. Won’t he be pleased 🙂 !
I have tried milled chia seeds and although the texture was more like pudding it clumps a whole lot easier and seemed to impart a flavor I did not care for. Maybe my seeds were bad, anyone else try it?
Do the milled seeds still have the gel effect?
Hi! Nice, simple recipe and it looks great! For those who cannot or do not care for the whole seed texture, there are micro-milled seeds sold by RunningFood. It’s more of a “powder” and it blends into yogurt and oatmeal really well.
This sounded so amazing I ran out and got the ingredients right away! Instead of Almond milk, I used eggnog flavored coconut milk and mint chocolate flavored coconut milk (they sell it at whole foods) and it was AMAZING. Also, to make it thicker, we just halfed the milk, but kept the chia seeds the same.
I love chia seeds!! And I will try this! We should eat this on google hangout instead of my rapsberry cream:)
Does the Chia Seed have a minty flavor on its own? Does it have any flavor? I’m a big lover of flax and its slightly nutty taste and have been curious to try out some chia!
no flavor really, but if I had to choose, i’d probs say nutty
love love love this! 🙂 can’t wait to try it out soon, need to go get me some almond milk and give it a try! thank youuu