Mornings are tough. I naively thought that they would get easier when we started to homeschool. When the kids were in public school, it was two hours of craziness followed by blissful peace. Now it's just 8 hours of craziness followed by an evening of craziness.

I'm not a breakfast person. I sometimes go until 3 or 4 in the afternoon before I eat something. Obviously, this isn't healthy, so I'm trying to find easy breakfast ideas.

When I saw a chia seed pudding recipe, I was intrigued. It makes a great breakfast and snack, and I can make it the night before. I am all about anything that makes my mornings easier!

WHAT ARE CHIA SEEDS?

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Remember those chia pets that were so popular a few decades ago? Yep, it's the same thing! So now instead of growing a Homer Simpson plant, you're eating them. Welcome to adulthood.

Chia seeds are considered a health food because they are high in antioxidants, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and iron. The omega-3 fatty acids can help raise your good HDL cholesterol. A 1-ounce serving of chia seeds has a whopping 5.6 grams of protein!

Chia seeds can be eaten raw or cooked, but you do need to soak them before you eat them. They do expand, so they could be a choking hazard.

A one-ounce serving of chia seeds has:

131 calories
13.07 grams of carbs
11.2 grams of fiber
8.4 grams of fat
5.6 grams of protein
18 percent of your daily calcium
27 percent of your daily phosphorus
30 percent of your daily manganese

The best part? This superfood is easy to find and inexpensive. I got mine at Aldi for around $2-3 for a big bag. I can make this chai seed pudding recipe for months with the bag I got.

You can also add them to bread, muffins, smoothies, oatmeal, and cereal.

They also make a great egg substitute if you can't eat eggs. Just mix a tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespooons of water and let them sit. After a few minutes, a gel starts to form. That gel can be used in place of an egg when baking.

MIXED BERRY CHIA SEED PUDDING RECIPE

What I love about this recipe is that it's easy to make. Some recipes call for using a blender or food processor, but this one does its magic as it sits. The texture isn't smooth; it's like tapioca. I don't mind that at all, so this is how I make it.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups almond milk (or any milk)
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or to taste)
Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries
Pint mason jar with plastic lid

DIRECTIONS

STEP #1

Fill a pint mason jar with 2 cups of milk. I used slightly less to have room to add the chia seeds, vanilla, and maple syrup to make it easier.

STEP #2

Add the vanilla, maple syrup, and chia seeds.

STEP #3

Put a lid on the jar and shake well. Let sit for 5 minutes.

STEP #4

After 5 minutes, some of the chia seeds will start to fall to the bottom. You may see clumps on the bottom. Shake well, making sure you break up those lumps. They can be stubborn, but I've never had to use a spoon or anything to break them up.

STEP #5

Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. You can let it sit overnight if you want. I didn't notice that it got much firmer after a few hours though.

STEP #6

This makes two servings, so layer the chia seed pudding with fresh fruit to make a parfait in a cup.

The chia seed pudding will last in the fridge for about 5 days, so you can make it on Sunday night for the rest of the week!

You can use any berry that you'd like or a mix like I did. If you're feeling spunky, you can blend the berries and the pudding in a food processor or bullet blender.

chia seed, pudding, berry, breakfast

dessert

American

Yield: 6

Author: Cari @ Everything Pretty