Chia Seed Pudding

Chia Seeds...these little tiny things have sooo many benefits for your health. According to the Huffington Post article on Chia Seed Benefits, Chia Seeds:

• Prevents Diabetes via its ability to slow digestion
• Contains a lot of fiber- contains about 1/3 of the daily recommended fiber intake in just one ounce of chia seeds
• Full of Omega-3 Fatty Acids- about 5 g per one ounce serving
• Promotes strong teeth and bones- contains 18% of the recommended daily intake of calcium
• Contains a lot of manganese- 28 g per serving
• Has a good portion of phosphorus- helps body to synthesize protein for cell/tissue growth and repair
• Full of protein- great way for vegetarians to add some protein to their diet
• Fights belly fat- due to its ability to stabilize blood sugar and also fights insulin resistance
• Contains tryptophan- which helps regulate appetite and helps you get fuller faster
• Promotes heart health- improves blood pressure in diabetics and helps lower bad cholesterol, while increasing healthy cholesterol

So as you can see, Chia Seeds have plenty of nutritional benefits. A good way you can incorporate them in your diet is through this chia seed pudding. I found this recipe in the cookbook, "Giada's Feel Good Food" by Giada de Laurentiis. Since it's developed by this food network star, you can bet that it is very delicious. Here's the recipe:

Recipe:

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vanilla-flavored unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup plain low-fat (2%) Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (grade B), plus 4 teaspoons for serving
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 pint strawberries (I substituted raspberries instead)
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds (I used whole almonds instead)

Directions:

• In a medium bowl, whisk the almond milk, yogurt, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until just blended
• Whisk in chia seeds
• Let stand for 30 minutes
• Stir to distribute the seeds in they have settled
• Cover and refrigerate overnight 
• I did not wait overnight. It can settle within 30 minutes and is fine to eat then, if you prefer not to wait. 
• The next day, toss berries with the remaining 4 teaspoons maple syrup
• Mix in the almonds
• Spoon pudding into 4 bowls and mound the berry mixture on top and serve

This pudding can be a great healthy choice for breakfast or a healthy desert. Enjoy :)