It’s the last day of 2015. I’m sure many of us would have made new year resolutions or perhaps thought about things that we would like to see improved in the coming year.
Eating healthy and stepping up on my exercise regimen (and hopefully stick to it) have always been on my agenda and most probably I’m not alone.
In my recipe for the day, I just want to introduce a power food that is still not very widely known here in Singapore and that is the chia seed. I would use the word ‘earthy’ to describe its taste but it’s pretty mild so unless you’re a supertaster like me, chia seed has almost no flavour on its own.
What’s good about the chia seed? It is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, anti-oxidants and fibre. Best thing is, chia seed has a low GI so it keeps you feeling full for longer which is most essential in weight management. We can add chia seeds to gravies/sauces as a thickener or into cake batters as an egg substitute. We can also sprinkle them into our breakfast oats, cereals, yogurts and smoothies. Basically, chia seeds absorb liquid and expand in size to form a gel-like texture which in turn provide hydration and a feeling of fullness.
With that, it’s really easy to turn chia seeds into a delectable pudding like this. Hassle-free and just so easy to make. The ratio of chia seeds to liquid (I use chocolate milk in this recipe) is about 1:2 but I like to have extra liquid to loosen up the pudding and give it a bit more moisture before digging in. You can just experiment and see what consistency you prefer.
This pudding can be prepared the night before. Just let it chill in the fridge overnight and you’d have a beautiful pudding to enjoy for breakfast the next day.
Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients (serves 2)
125g chia seeds
250ml low fat chocolate milk + 50ml extra for mixing
toppings: chopped almonds, raisins & chocolate chips
garnish: mint leaves
Instructions
1. Combine chia seeds and chocolate milk in a covered jar and leave in fridge overnight.
2. Add 50ml milk to loosen up the pudding and serve with your favourite toppings.
3. Garnish with mint leaves.
For those of you in Singapore who would like to know where to get chia seeds, I always get my supply from this Qoo10 store (click on the image below):
WWW.QOO10.SG
Price is reasonable (probably the cheapest I’ve seen so far) and the quality of the chia seed is not bad too. Worth buying. Do note I’m not affiliated with them so please contact the seller directly if you have questions.