Easy, Versatile Chia Pudding Recipe for Busy People

When I was in the thick of my interstitial cystitis, I took a food sensitivity test to see which foods I should avoid to decrease inflammation. The results were devastating. Dairy, eggs, coffee, avocado, pineapple, bananas, peanuts, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and kale all made the list. I also noticed that consuming meat increased my anxiety and disrupted my sleep, so I gave up meat for a time. On top of all that, I was following an elimination diet, meaning no gluten or sugar either. So what the heck was I supposed to eat for breakfast while I healed my gut?

Enter chia pudding! What a lifesaver. High in protein, healthy fats, and fiber, chia pudding gave me a breakfast I could count on. Plus, it’s versatile. You can add a plethora of different ingredients to suit your tastes. And you can make it quickly and in bulk—meaning less mess and time in the kitchen.

Here is my basic chia pudding recipe to get you going, along with some extras you can throw into the blender. Please note: I recommend blending your chia pudding, as there is some evidence to show that grinding chia seeds increases nutrient absorption. In general, seeds are best consumed ground for easier digestion.

Base ingredients (all organic!):

• 1 cup chia seeds
• 5 cups plant-based milk of choice (almond, coconut, cashew, hemp, macadamia, combo of plant-based milk and water)
• 2 Tbsp – 1/4 cup natural sweetener of choice (monkfruit sweetener, stevia, maple syrup, raw local honey, date syrup, or 4-6 dates)

Optional extra ingredients (all organic!):

I give amounts, but I suggest eyeballing it or going by taste to upgrade your kitchen skills.

• 2 Tbsp – ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup cooked butternut squash, acorn squash, or pumpkin
• ½ – 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ – 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp almond extract
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp nut butter (almond, cashew, sunflower, peanut)
• If consuming right away, you can add fresh fruit right into the blender. If you’re preparing to store in the fridge, I recommend adding fresh fruit as a topping. Sometimes the blended fruit gets a little sour over time.

Directions:

Put all base ingredients and any optional extras in a blender. Blend until smooth and add extra liquid if needed. That’s it!

Optional toppings (all organic!):

• Fruit (berries, apples, mango, pears, pineapple, pomegranate seeds, oranges, banana, kiwi, etc)
• Nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios, macadamia nuts, etc)
• Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame)
• Cacao nibs
• Unsweetened coconut flakes
• Goji berries
• Lemon, orange, or lime zest