Chia Seed Apple Pudding

Chia Seed Apple Pudding

A quick and simple recipe for making chia seed pudding with sweetened almond milk and apple juice. It tastes like apple pudding and it’s full of protein and omega 3 fat.

Did you know that everyday you’re supposed to consume on average .36 grams of protein for every pound that you weigh? I didn’t know this. They say unless you’re underweight you’re probably consuming enough protein. I guess that’s true for most people. But unless I’m sticking to a good routine I tend to snack throughout the day rather than eating proper meals. And the snacks I eat are not usually full of protein.

I started thinking back over various different diets and health regimes I’ve tried. The times I’ve felt best have been the times I was eating more protein. I wasn’t eating a high protein diet during these times – but I was consuming on average the recommended intake. Even times when I was eating sweets and things that aren’t healthy, if I was eating the right amount of protein I was feeling better. This has been a bit of a revelation for me.

I still want to eat more vegetarian and vegan meals but I want higher protein veggie meals.

I knew chia seed is a good source of protein – 2 tablespoons of chia seeds contain about 4 grams of protein. They are also a good source of omega 3 fat, fibre and some other nutrients. You can find out all about them here.

One thing about these little seeds is they soak up lots of liquid. They become sort of gelatinous when they do, making them a good substitute for egg in some recipes. But because they soak up liquid this way it’s important to increase your fluid intake when consuming them. Or better still, only eat them after they’ve been soaked. They are soaked in this recipe.

Because I knew chia seeds could be an easy way to up my protein intake in the mornings I tried them first in juice. I love mango and orange juice. But I found the mango-orange chia seed pudding turned my tummy sour. Which is funny because the juice itself doesn’t have that effect on me. I was going to give up on the chia seed pudding idea.

It needed to be creamier. There are a lot of chia seed pudding recipes out there using coconut milk which sound great.  But they also sound like something I couldn’t eat every morning. Also I wasn’t keen on using a whole can of coconut milk every day.

At the same time I was thinking about making a vegan chocolate quinoa porridge. I had bought a carton of sweetened almond milk (M&S brand) for this purpose. I also had some Apple juice (100% juice not from concentrate). And the packet of chia seeds I had were fast approaching their sell-by-date. So I replaced the mango and orange juice with almond milk and apple juice.

I couldn’t get over how nice it was. To me this tastes really like apple cake – because the apple cake I usually make uses ground almonds. I like my apple cake to be warm or at least room temperature. So I zapped the chia seed pudding in the microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute making this just a comforting and nutritious start to the day.

Another great thing about chia seeds is that they really fill you up. They seem to suppress hunger – not sure how but they seem to have that effect on me.

ingredients for chia seed apple pudding
Chia seeds, apple juice, sweetened almond milk

Chia Seed Apple Pudding

Chia Seed Apple Pudding

Ingredients

  • 2 generous tablespoons whole chia seeds (about 30g)
  • 150ml 100% apple juice (not from concentrate)
  • 150ml sweetened almond milk
  • mix of fruit and nut slices optional for serving

Instructions

  1. Rinse the chia seeds thoroughly in a sieve. Add to a deep bowl.
  2. Pour in the almond milk and apple juice. Whisk around well.
  3. Cover the bowl in cling film and put in the fridge for an hour or so. Take out and whisk thoroughly once more. Cover once again and place in the fridge over night.
  4. In the morning take off the cling film and heat in the microwave or on the stove until warm.
  5. You can have as is or add some chopped fruit and nuts to it for variety.
http://twimii.com/recipes/chia-seed-apple-pudding/

chia seed apple pudding with bananas, grapes, blueberries and chopped pecans
You can have it as is or with some chopped fruit and nuts. I added bananas, grapes, blueberries and chopped pecans to this. Very nice.
Save one for later
I don’t have the chia seed apple pudding alone for breakfast. I’ll have it along with some egg or quinoa dish. And keep half to have in the evening after dinner.
chia apple pudding
I love the shapes the shadows and light make here – a little magical pudding.
Chia pudding and green tea.
Chia seed apple pudding with sliced banana, grapes, blueberries and pecan nuts. With a cup of green tea.