November 23, 2017
Who here has heard the 90‘s commercial for chia pets? If you haven’t, take a moment and youtube it. I’ll wait here.
Such a classic example of the 90’s!
Today, I have more to offer then bringing back some childhood memories or giving someone a look at how cheesy the 90’s was, I’m here to give another contender to put on your dessert roster.
In my last blog post I unleashed some cold hard sugar truths that put sugar under the spot light, not catching its good side either. I also mentioned that I’ve slowly traded off to a more natural dessert option and today I’m going to share that with you!
Chia seeds aren’t just used to sprout plant fur on animal pottery. Chia seeds are JAM packed with nutrients; high in fiber, protein, Omega-3’s, Calcium, Manganese, Magnesium, and Phosphorus. There is also a decent amount of Zinc, Vitamin B1 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2. With chia’s high fiber content, adding it to a meal helps slow the breakdown of carbohydrates being converted to sugar. This is perfect for dessert as we don’t get the usual quick blood sugar spikes that normally come from high sugar/sweet options.
If that hasn’t sold you enough yet, chia seeds may also help reduce joint pain, aid in weight loss, deliver an energy boost and can contribute to prevention of diabetes and heart disease.
Now that I have everyone’s attention. Let’s get mixing!
Chia seeds hold up to 10-12 times their weight in water, becoming gel-like. When chia sees aren’t soaked they will absorb water in the body, so be sure to drink a little more water to help stay hydrated.
I like starting off with a simple Chia pudding base, this way I can add to it as I please.
Cha-Cha-Chia!
Simple Chia Base Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsweetened Original Almond Milk
- 1/4 cup Chia seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon
- Baby splash of Vanilla (under 1/4 teaspoon)
Directions
- Mix the Almond milk, cinnamon & vanilla in a blender until smooth
- Add chia seeds and mix well. Let sit for an hour and then mix again
- Let sit for another hour and mix one last time before serving or refrigerating for later
Now that the base is made, let’s add the exciting part!
I always make double of the base and only dish out what I need or want for my desert. That’s why I keep the base fairly simple.
Chia pudding upgrade
- 1/2 cup of Chia pudding (base)
- 2.5 tablespoons of Unsweetened Medium Coconut
- 1 teaspoon of Almond flour (blended almonds)
- pinch of Cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon of Raw honey
Directions
- Mix Ingredients together and enjoy!
It doesn’t stay that photogenic for long, soon you will end up a big blob of delight. Reminds me of when I used to stir my ice cream up into a thick milkshake!
The best part of Chia pudding, is the topping and base ingredients are endless. I’d love to hear what your favourite Chia pudding upgrade is, in the comments below!
Till next time,
Jessica
