Date and Coconut Chia Pudding

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I’ve been seeing chia pudding everywhere lately, and tonight I finally tried it. What are chia seeds, you ask? No, I’m not asking you to eat a Chia Pet, which is a different conversation entirely. Chia seeds are actually kind of a miracle food. They have tons of health and nutrition benefits—to name a few:
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• Fiber. Chia seeds are packed with fiber (one tablespoon has 3 grams!). A small amount keeps you full for a long time, and they bulk up in your intestines because they can absorb so much liquid. They essentially clean house in your digestive system. The carbohydrates are cancelled out by the fiber, too (3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of carbs), which helps stabilize your blood sugar instead of spiking it. The carbohydrates are released very slowly instead of flooding your system, which is really beneficial for people with blood sugar issues such as diabetes.
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• Calcium and boron, which are both essential to bone health. These seeds have five times the amount of calcium that milk has!
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• Omega-3. Chia seeds are the richest source—over 60%—of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for lots of reasons, but especially heart health.
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• Hydration. Chia seeds prolong hydration and retain electrolytes. If you add chia seeds to your water bottle during a workout, it’ll keep you from getting dehydrated.
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Plus many more! And they’re incredibly versatile. Read more about them here. You can mix them into almost anything to increase its nutritional value. They’re pretty much tasteless and extremely low-calorie, so you can add a big nutritional punch without altering the flavor. Some suggestions: yogurt, cereal, bread, in salads, smoothies, shakes, etc. They absorb liquid and become really soft, so they blend super easily with anything that has liquid in it.
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This pudding is basically like chia tapioca. That’s the texture of it—just less gloopy, for lack of a better word. It’s not the most attractive food, but it tastes just like pudding and it’s a great snack or meal that’s also ridiculously healthy. There’s a lot of variations you can make as well, which I’ll go into after the recipe. Here’s how you make it:

You’ll need chia seeds (of course), which you can find at your nearest health food or similar store. I got this bag for about $7, and this will last me for a long time. It’s a great deal. They’re so concentrated that a bag like this could last you months, and they don’t go rancid as long as you keep them sealed.
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For my variation, you’ll also need a couple dates, coconut flakes, and some kind of milk. I used regular skim, but it would be even better with vanilla almond or soymilk (I would’ve used almond milk but I just ran out—the thickness would be great for this). Not pictured: sugar-free vanilla syrup (I use Torani).

First, pit your dates (if they’re not pitted already), and chop them into small pieces.

Combine your milk, your water, your vanilla syrup (or vanilla extract) and your dates in a mixing container.

Now add your chia seeds. Don’t be scared!

Now give it a good stir. Then, stir every few minutes for the next 30 – 45 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the pudding is thick, like tapioca. Make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge for easy snacks and breakfasts.

Looks kind of like pebbles in milk, doesn’t it? I promise it doesn’t taste that way.

Serve with a nice big teaspoon of coconut. Delicious!

I don’t believe in health food that doesn’t taste good, so you’ll have to take my word for it. I served myself about a half a cup and it was more than enough, so these things aren’t kidding with their fiber content. Have a nice big serving of this for breakfast or with your breakfast and you’ll definitely stay full until lunch. Way better than those dinky reduced-calorie Snack Packs that keep you full for approximately 5 seconds. Yay for super foods!
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Date and Coconut Chia Pudding
Yields: 3 servings (about 1/2 cup each)
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1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup milk of your choice
1/2 cup water
2 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
3 teaspoons flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring (vanilla extract or sugar-free syrup)
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Mix milk, water, dates, and vanilla flavoring. Add chia seeds and mix intermittently for 30 to 45 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and pudding has thickened. Top with one teaspoon of coconut per serving.
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Suggested mix-ins: Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg), nuts (walnuts, almonds), flavor extracts, fruit—pretty much anything you think would taste good.

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Nutritional Information
Per 1/2 cup serving, using skim milk and sweetened coconut. Substitutions will alter these calculations.
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Calories: 77
Fat: 3.8g
Cholesterol: 0.8mg
Sodium: 36mg
Potassium: 38.3mg
Carbohydrate: 11.3g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 3.5g

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