Chia in My Yogurt, and Another Chia "Pudding"

I have attempted to sample chia "puddings" to guests and team members where I work, and I find that about 50% of the people love them, and then 50% hate them (and when they hate them, they really hate them!). I think there are three things that prevent people from enjoying chia "puddings";

1) The texture. For some people who are sensitive to weird textures, chia puddings are a not go. 2) The appearance. Chia seeds are dark and when they turn to gel they look kind of ugly (ok, really ugly) and that's a turn off for some people.
3) Chia seeds are very bland, and you need to add a lot of flavor to your puddings in order to get a good taste. As a dietitian I try not to add too much sugar, but for some people that's no bueno. Sorry!


I'm not sure where I saw this recipe, originally, but I'm almost positive it was on Teri's blog. I liked it right away because it called for tahini, and I'm always looking for new ways to use tahini (ways that don't involved chickpeas!)

Tahini and Chia Pudding
(Makes 2 servings)

1/4 cup chia seeds
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 T tahini
1/2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
Fruit to add for toppings (frozen berries, banana, etc.)

Mix all ingredients together and chill for 30 minutes. Serve with fruit (bananas work really well, and I also enjoyed it with frozen berries)

This definitely had a different taste. I liked it a lot, especially considering the nutrition facts for one serving;
Look at all of that fiber! Yes, this is high in fat, but let's not forget tahini and chia seeds both offer the beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids (and chia provides omega-3). This would make a great breakfast, topped with some fruit, or even a nice hearty snack. It's very filling.



And before I end my chia posts for a while (I think I'm all chia'd-out) I have one more chia creation to share! I talked to a customer at work the other day who told me something fun that she does with chia. She said she adds the seeds to a bit of juice and once the seeds and juice have sat in the fridge for a while, and the seeds have turned the juice into a jell-like consistency, she mixes it into Greek yogurt. I loved this idea, so I tried it.

This is something I will do often, as it adds the prefect amount of sweetness to plain Greek yogurt (plus some vitamin C, fiber, and omega-3).

Ingredients

1 T chia seeds
3 T juice (I used 100% pomegranate juice)
(**You can also use a low calorie juice, such as V8 Light **)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Directions

Let the chia + juice sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
Add the chia/juice combination to your yogurt, and mix well.

Question: Go ahead, tell me the craziest thing you've done with chia! If you haven't tried it, do you think you will?

Any fun weekend plans? I actually have tomorrow off because my cousin is getting married. I'm so happy for her!