This is probably the 100th time you’ve seen me mention wanting to get my act together and get fit. I’ve mentioned wanting to get healthy and back in shape. That’s only because I’ve been telling myself this over and over and making no real strides to progress. Sounds like a personal problem, right? Well, I’m pleased to announce, I signed up for (way more classes than I should have) of Pure Barre. And yes, I’m actually planning to stick with it. I’m even going back to counting my calories using my favorite tracking app, My Fitness Pal.
Speaking of My Fitness Pal, did you know that you can search in Arabic for foods? You can also load your own recipes and calculate the calories based on the number of servings. It’s one of my favorite fitness tracking apps, aside from my Fitbit app, of course.
In an attempt to stay healthy, and get on the breakfast bandwagon, I started getting into making chia puddings. Chia pudding isn’t quite pudding in the traditional sense… but it’s one of the most versatile breakfast foods. I get bored with the same foods every day, so being able to change it up every week is key! I prepare my chia pudding for the week Sunday night, and make enough to last me all week.
Let’s get into the basics of chia pudding.
Chia Seeds
First, you’re going to need chia seeds. Chia seeds are concentrated food containing healthy omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium.
Liquid
My go-to is unsweetened coconut milk. There’s no limitation, though. Almond milk, soy milk, regular milk, oat milk, etc. are all acceptable. Choose something you love. Try to keep it unsweetened.
Sweetener
Maple Syrup or natural honey are great sweeteners for chia pudding. You can also use your favorite jam, or stick to traditional white sugar or brown sugar.
Flavor Enhancements
This is where the extracts come in. Most weeks, I stick to vanilla extract. However, I’ve recently tried almond extract and it has kicked the flavor up a notch!
Additions
I usually add a heaping teaspoon (more like a tablespoon) of peanut butter to my pudding. Any nut butter would go well here. If I’m going for something chocolatey, I also add a teaspoon of cocoa powder. Don’t forget about cinnamon, cardamom ad pumpkin spice!
Toppings
The possibilities are endless! Pick your favorite fruits and nuts, and chop them up, and add them on top.
For a week’s worth of chia pudding, mix together 1/3 cup chia seeds, 1 cup liquid, 1 teaspoon sweetener, 1 teaspoon flavor enhancement, 1 teaspoon nut butter (optional) in a medium bowl. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. Scoop 1-2 servings chia pudding into a small mason jar, top with your desired toppings and Ta-Da! Instant breakfast. Note: To maintain freshness of fruit/toppings, I usually prepare the toppings on the side, and add them on top daily.
The possibilities really are endless. Experiment with sweeteners, toppings and enhancements that you think would go together naturally (for example: Almond extract, honey and fig topping. That’s a new one I tried this week).
