Don’t chia want me, baby

Chia seeds have been the superfood du jour for a while now, following the persistent quinoa and kale stints. And as with quinoa and kale before them, I waited longer than I should have to jump on the bandwagon.

Chia seeds are native to Mexico and South America and have been around for centuries. The little guys may be tiny but boy are they powerful: just one tablespoon contains 6g of fiber, 3g of protein and 2.9g of Omega-3 fatty acids. I bought my first bag of chia seeds at Trader Joe’s ($7 for 5.3 oz) a few weeks ago and have since enjoyed their addition to my green smoothies. The seeds are practically tasteless and aside from really enriching a smoothie’s nutritional benefits, they help keep me feeling full longer. Whereas my regular smoothies would keep me satisfied for one to two hours, chia seed smoothies keep me full for up to four hours, which makes them perfect for mornings when a proper omelet is out of question.

When soaked in liquid, chia seeds absorb up to 12 times their weight and take on a gelatinous texture. Enter chia pudding. Chia pudding is typically made by soaking chia seeds in milk, along with any variety of chosen flavorings. The resulting stuff is superbly nutritious and makes a fantastic breakfast, snack and - depending on your chosen level of sweetness - dessert. Some recipes call for Greek yogurt or heavy cream to add density to the pudding but I wanted to keep this treat vegan. Strawberries were my topping of choice here but feel free to use other berries, mango, banana, as well as other seeds or nuts in yours.

(Yield: 2 servings)

Ingredients:
1 c unsweetened almond milk
3 tbsp black chia seeds
1-2 tbsp maple syrup (depending on your preferred level of sweetness)
A tiny pinch of salt
1/2 c diced strawberries

Procedure: Combine almond milk, chia seeds, syrup and salt in a bowl. Whisk to combine and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to allow pudding to set. Whisk pudding once more before serving to ensure there are no lumps and fold in strawberries. Pudding will last up to a few days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.