Vanilla Chia Pudding

It's pudding time!!!  And with the health benefits from chia seeds!  Have you tried these crazy little things yet?  Did you know that chia seeds have the highest-known percentage of omega-3s among plants?  They are also an excellent source of calcium!  Combine them with a simple combination of almond milk and your sweetener of choice and you'll get a tapioca-like pudding snack loaded with nutrients.  So if you have consistency issues with things like cottage cheese or tapioca, this might not be your thing.  That's okay!  You can also grind chia seeds and add them to shakes, jams or your own pudding for thickness.

Here are your basic ingredients!

Prep Time: 1 minute
Chill Time: 60 minutes (or longer)

Serves: 2

1 1/2 c. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (I like Silk brand)

1/4 c. Chia Seeds
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/8 tsp (scant) NuNaturals pure stevia extract (or your favorite sweetener to taste)

Directions
 
It doesn't get much easier than this!  Put all ingredients in a Mason jar, cover tightly and shake.  Refrigerate for 5 - 10 minutes and then shake again.  Shake yet again after a few minutes so the seeds don’t clump all together.  Return to refrigerator for 50 minutes or longer.

Super healthy!  I will add that I am a chocolate person and sadly, I was OUT of cocoa powder.  Rats!  But this was still really good.  For a chocolate version, simply add 3-4 tbls. cocoa powder and give it a good stir and shake before sticking it in the fridge.

Where can you find chia seeds?  Pretty much any grocery store these days.  I think my Costco is now carrying them too.  I had purchased a gigantic 5 lb bag from Amazon and slooooowly working my way towards finishing it.

The finished product! 

per serving based on the brands I used:  143 calories, 8 g fat, 10 g fiber, 10 g carbs