Have you heard the statement that “Your GUT is Your Second Brain”? well it is, and taking care of your Microbiome and Gut Flora is key to your long term health and wellness. In this article Van shares her small tweaks to a great SuperGreen Chia Pudding recipe from one of her favorite sites, Poppies and Papayas. This Chia Pudding recipe was in Week 4 of a multi-part of series called Nourish your Microbiome. I highly suggest you check it out.
SuperGreen Chia Pudding
Making this chia pudding is a great way to kickstart your day and nourish your “friendly” bacteria. This pudding has all the prebiotics, probiotics, and other goodies inside to keep your belly happy. And yes, with a couple handfuls of spinach, there is a serving of vegetables inside. I love to make a batch, put it in two mason jars, and have it ready to go for the early morning work days. Then all you have to do in the morning is add the granola and fresh berries.
Makes 2 servings
INGREDIENTS and ANNOTATIONS – You’ll see my tweaks and suggestions in red below
- 1 medium banana
- 1 cup plain organic Greek yogurt (I used 2%) [VN: I prefer to use full fat Honey Greek yogurt]
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any unsweetened milk) [VN: I use grass-fed full fat milk, or light coconut milk]
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup [VN: I skip this cuz yogurt above is sweet enough. If I do use, I just put in a dash.]
- Pinch of sea salt
- 5 tablespoons chia seeds [VN: Make sure you buy in the bulk section at your favorite co-op.]
- 1/4 cup of your favorite granola
- Fresh berries (I used raspberries)
DIRECTIONS
Place the banana, yogurt, milk, baby spinach, maple syrup [maybe], and sea salt into a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Pour the mixture into a glass bowl [two 12oz glass cups] and stir in the chia seeds. Cover the bowl [cups] and place into the refrigerator. Let the mixture sit for at least 3 hours or overnight. [To make things easy, do it the night before. The reasoning for the separate glasses, is that I can take it on the go easily, from fridge to work desk.]
Spoon the mixture evenly into two mason jars, or serving glasses, and top with your favorite granola and fresh berries. Enjoy!
Optional: If you like your pudding a little less thick, just add in a bit more almond milk. You can also drizzle some coconut cream over the berries for added flavor. [VN: On a couple of occasions when I did not have time for the chia seeds to soak, I have made this less thick by adding more milk and drank it as a smoothie without adding the chia seeds. It was equally yummy. But overall, I like adding the chia seeds.]
Variation: I am guessing a steamed and peeled beet would taste delicious as well in place of the spinach.
– By Van Nguyen