Some of my most popular recipes contain chia seeds, including these chocolate chia protein balls, these flourless chocolate zucchini muffins, and this chocolate peanut butter chia pudding. Wait... they also all contain chocolate, so maybe that better explains their popularity...
Regardless, chia seeds are my new favourite ingredient. They are extremely versatile, taking on the flavour of whatever you're pairing them with, adding some texture and color to an otherwise bland recipe and of course adding loads of nutrition. These little tiny black jewels are packed full of nutrition, including protein, fibre, Omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Just one ounce of chia seeds (about 2 tablespoons) contains about 10 grams of fibre and almost 5 grams of protein—both of which help us feel fuller longer—contributing to healthy weight management.
As you can probably rell, I’ve been on a huge chia seed kick lately, adding them to smoothies, yogurt parfaits, homemade granola bars, breakfasts and just about anything else that could use an extra boost of nutrition.
The soluble fibre found in chia seeds can also help to keep blood sugar levels stable and can help protect against many chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer.
My kids absolutely loved my chocolate peanut butter chia pudding (linked above), so I decided to test out another pudding recipe using one of my favourite flavour combinations; coconut and banana, for a more tropical feel. The kids loved it just as much and we will definitely be making it again!
Ingredients
Directions
Pour coconut milk and honey into a small saucepan and set over medium heat on the stove, stirring often until steaming (about 5-10 minutes).
Remove from heat and transfer to a glass bowl. Stir in chia seeds, shredded coconut and vanilla extract and whisk together. Let sit for about 10 minutes at room temperature.
Once cooled, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge to chill for at least 12 hours.
After the 12 hours, remove from fridge, stir in greek yogurt and whisk until incorporated.
Optional: transfer to a good quality blender and blend until smooth (this might work better if you want a smoother pudding). Hint: use white chia seeds for a more pleasing colour.
Serve in small dishes with banana slices and shredded coconut on top!
For more kid-friendly and delicious recipes (as well as daily nutrition tips for babies, kids and Moms), head over to my Facebook page!
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