Blueberry Chia Seed Pudding

Even as a child I was a picky eater and textures were always an issue. No way was I going to eat something rubbery, slimy, sticky or too chewy! Poor mom...

To a certain extent I've grown out of a most of those aversions. Well, a few of them anyway. 

Chia seeds had always been on the iffy scale for me. I mean, they looked harmless enough when they were just sitting there, on there own, not doing anything. But once some insane person added those seeds to a perfectly good bottle of Kombucha they were transformed into strange gelatinous globs. Or so I thought.

I suppose I better get on to the enlightened portion of this story before you feel affirmed to keep chia seeds off your grocery list!

When I was going through my herbal courses, I watched a fun video of Rosemary Gladstar making Chia Seed Pudding. She made it look so simple, quick and tasty that I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did!

I've learned not to judge a seed by appearances only! I've even taken to putting them in a bit of pomegranate juice for a little overnight cold infusion now and then. Aversion tackled.

Turns out, chia seeds have a lot to offer. Just 1 ounce of chia seeds contain 4915 mgs of total omega-3 fatty acids. They are also very low in cholesterol and a good source of calcium, phosphorus, dietary fiber and manganese.

Combined with the healthy benefits of coconut milk and blueberries, this recipe is a win-win in my world. And yes, to my delighted surprise, it tastes scrummy too!! The fun thing about this recipe is that it can be tweaked from its base into many different combos and flavors. I'm using blueberries because I picked a lot over the summer and want to keep things moving in my freezer. I chose the pecans because they were handy and the spices go well as two of my favorites. Anyway, on to the recipe...

Blueberry Chia Seed Pudding

1 cup chia seeds
3 cups liquid (1 13.5 oz can coconut milk and the rest water)
1 to 1 1/2 cup blueberries
1 tsp vanilla (more or less to taste)
1 tbs maple syrup (more or less to taste)
Pecans
Cinnamon
Cardamom

Mix up the base which is the chia seeds, coconut milk and water. I typically put the coconut milk into a medium sized bowl and smooth it out with a stick blender first. Then I blend in the water, add the chia seeds, vanilla, maple syrup and blueberries. Cover and place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight until set. When ready, remove the cover, top with more berries, the pecans, cinnamon and cardamom. Dish out and dig in! What could be easier? And oh my goodness - so tasty.

Tip: I use frozen blueberries so they stay in tact and don't color the entire dish blue.

I hope you'll give it try and please do let me know about the flavor combos you've tried 😋



References

SELFNutritionData - Seeds, chia seeds, dried nutrition facts and calories. Found here: https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3061/2

Dr. Axe - Nutrition. Coconut Milk Nutrition: Beneficial Vegan Milk or High-Fat Trap? Found here: https://draxe.com/nutrition/coconut-milk-nutrition/

Organic Facts - by Meenakshi Nagdeve. December 20, 2019. 20 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Blueberries. Found here: https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-blueberries.html