Healthy Snack: Chia Pudding
We kicked off the start of the New Year with a detox. First removing alcohol like everyone else does with their New Years Resolutions Lists, so January started out as a Dry January which lead into a 10 day Juice Cleanse and finally after the cleanse, shifting to a Vegetarian and sometimes Vegan lifestyle of eating despite me being an O blood type who has predominantly followed the Eating For Your Blood Type guidelines for years. If this Blood Type eating is a new concept for you, here is the name of the book you can look up Eat Right 4 Your Type but in the meantime, let me give you an example … An O Blood type should eat a high-protein diet heavy on lean meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables, and LIGHT on grains, beans, and dairy. There were times I experimented in the past with a Vegetarian Lifestyle and the longest stint I went was 5 years when I worked on cruise ships but in the end, I wasn’t able to get enough sustainable protein and integrated meat back into my diet. Traditionally I have felt better when I’ve had meat in my diet … that was until the start of 2020 and this change in our lifestyle choices.
When I first met the man who was to become my husband, he was a Yogi who was also the head chef at an ashram so his specialties were Indian, Vegetarian and Vegan food. In the three years that we lived and worked together at the Amrit Yoga Institute, we followed the path of a Yogic Lifestyle. When you are “clearing”, it’s easier on your body to have easily digestible foods so meat was definitely off our radar back then. However upon leaving the forest and moving to Southeast Florida, we returned to a Blood Type Diet. In past 5 months, it has been at my request and his delighted surprise, that we stick to a predominantly Vegetarian Lifestyle … interspersed with fresh fish every now and again. How can you live on the water in Florida and not eat fresh fish … especially when your boys catch it? But I want to stress that with my choices, I’ve never been more satisfied and haven’t yet missed eating chicken, turkey or a steak! It’s been fun exploring new recipes and ideas which I am feeling compelled to share here, hoping that my experiences will help others open up to trying something new.
One favorite has become my Chia Pudding recipe. The great news is Chia pudding not only tastes great, but it is high in protein, full of omega-3s, packed with fiber so it leaves us feeling full and sustainably satisfied. No sugar crashes, no need to nap immediately after eating and when I say “sustainable”, I mean that I’m not hungry an hour later PLUS it fuels my husband who does construction and finishing work for a living. As a physically strong man would tell you … “I prefer a steak” but not him, he asks for the Chia Pudding every week and along with a protein shake, it has become the foundation of his diet and what powers him up every day.
If you look at the picture I included, it includes my preferred brands and ingredients. The below list will give you 6 individual servings.
12 Tbsp. Greenwise Chia Seeds from Publix
(1) 13.5 oz can of Native Forest Unsweetened Organic Coconut Milk (thick consistency)
13.5 oz. of So Delicious Organic Coconut Milk (Unsweetened and thin consistency)
To liven the flavor up I add …
To taste: Shady Maple Farms 100% Pure Organic Maple Syrup
To taste: Antilles Spice Vanilla
To store & serve the pudding, I like using the wide mouth Ball jars. They remind me of my Grandma who used to can fruit & vegetables in the summer. Remember to leave space at the top of each jar, so you can add your favorite fruit & granola to round out the dish.
Now you can easily find a plethora of recipes on line about how to make the Chia Pudding with three ingredients but they don’t always include the “tricks” to get the best results. So here we go (and I will admit, I follow Prana when I cook which means that I use ingredients that are not called for and eye measure).
While you can make this with cow’s milk, I prefer using Coconut Milk because of the consistency & the ease of working with it. I’ve tried cows milk but it takes forever to thicken! I want ease … & the coconut milk? It’s just CREAMY from the start. But here is the kicker … I use TWO types of coconut milk with a specific reason, it makes the pudding thicker & creamier FASTER, PLUS I don’t have to continue to mix the pudding once all of the ingredients have gone into the jars. Plus the canned coconut milk is a practical thing to keep around the house when you are dealing with hurricane season and preparedness lists.
Open the CAN of coconut milk and empty into a mixing bowl - do not throw the empty can away - we are going to use it to measure the other type of coconut milk. Please note that sometimes when you open the can, the cream has thickened at the top, just pour it all into the bowl and whisk to mix evenly. Now take the other coconut milk and measure it using the empty can, add it to your mixing bowl and whisk the two types of milk together … now you have equal parts of coconut milk.
I actually use a 4 cup wet measuring cup instead of a bowl as I have found it’s easier to then pour the coconut milk into each jar. Less mess.
I begin building my jars by first lining them up across the counter. I then add 1/4 tsp. of vanilla (for a rich flavor) and 1/4 tsp. of maple syrup (for sweetening) to each jar. You may want to add more / less depending upon your taste and preferences but this is a good start. If you use sweetened Almond or Coconut Milk, you may not want the additional sweetener in the maple syrup but it too adds a bit of flavor to your pudding.
Now it’s time to add the coconut milk to each jar … 1/2 cup per jar.
Another reason that I like using the Ball jars is that they have the measurements on the outside of each jar so you don’t need any additional measuring cups. Again, ease in clean up.
You may end up with a little coconut milk left in your measuring cup so what I do is go back and top off each jar with the remaining coconut milk so it’s evening distributed.
Now it’s time to add 2 Tbsp. Chia Seeds per jar. It’s important to note … DO NOT put the Chia seeds in the jar FIRST and then add the milk. Your seeds will stick together and the pudding will be lumpy. Also DO NOT put the Chia seeds in all jars and then go back and mix one at a time. Same thing, the seeds will stick together and you will have a lumpy texture. What I have experimented with is to add the seeds to three jars, mix thoroughly and then do the next three jars.
Once you have all jars prepped and stirred, go back and stir them again just to ensure that your seeds and milk are evenly mixed with the vanilla and maple syrup.
What to mix the pudding with: small whisk, spoon or spatula. I use a whisk for mixing the coconut milk & prefer the spatula to stir the ingredients in the jars because I can then use the spatula to scrape any seeds that might have stuck to the side of the jar while mixing.
Put the lids on the jars and stack in the ‘fridge. I let mine sit overnight and then in the morning, top with the fresh berries - blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, even banana - and granola. So here is my last tip … top the Chia Pudding with the berries first (they will sink into the pudding - YUM) and then add the granola for the crunch. Enjoy!
Let me know how you like this combination by posting comments in the section below.