Since when did Chia seeds become so popular?  Growing up, I can remember watching the commercials and always wanted a “chia pet” for my home.  Now we eat them, drink them and make pudding…crazy ha?

Here is a commercial from 1990 for your enjoyment…love the song!

A few years back I started putting chia seed in my water as I liked the way the chia seed expanded, I also liked the flavor…although, I didn’t like the seeds getting between my teeth.  I never thought about making a “pudding” out of the seed but it made sense to me as when the seeds are mixed with anything liquid, they expand.  This recipe makes an excellent alternative for the gluten free friends, it’s a great option if you are watching your weight and because I added protein powder it helps with more protein in your diet.

Here are some benefits I found on the internet for Chia seeds:

• Dietary fiber (11g – 42% recommended daily value)
• Protein (4.4g – 9% RDV)
• Omega-3 fatty acids (4915 mg)
• Omega-6 fatty acids (1620 mg)
• Calcium (77 mg – 18% RDV)
• Copper (0.1 mg – 3% RDV)
• Phosphorus (265 mg – 27% RDV)
• Potassium (44.8 mg – 1% RDV)
• Zinc (1.0 mg – 7% RDV)

Not too shabby ha?  Because I added 1/3 cup of protein, my chia pudding added 24 grams of protein to the recipe.  For this recipe, I used coconut milk, added chocolate protein mix, mixed it

added the chia seeds, vanilla, and some orange juice

Mixed it all together and let it sit overnight, then topped the pudding with pomegranate seeds as I wanted the pop from fruit, it was perfect!

Here is how we served it for my shoot.

I loved this recipe as I didn’t have to add any sugar or sugar substitute, the chia seeds expanded making the perfect consistency for a “pudding” texture.  If you change out the milk, you may need to adjust the seed/orange juice ratio.  If you don’t want to add protein powder, you can omit it.  You can top the pudding with any topping, I’d suggest blueberries, nuts, coconut flakes or even granola but for me, the topping is necessary, for texture.

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Thank you again ~ Patty Limatola-Tanenbaum