Health Tip:

Dessert for Breakfast??

Learn the secret to the perfect lump-free chia pudding.

What Are Chia Seeds and Why Should I Eat them?

Chia are tiny odorless and tasteless seeds that are packed with low carb nutrition. They are a great source of antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, potassium, and magnesium. Chia seeds are very absorbent and can soak up 9 times their weight. When placed in liquid, they turn into small tapioca-like gel beads. Chia seeds can be used as a thickener in soups and chilis, a binder for dishes like meatloaf, and is also often used as an egg substitute in baking. At WellnessFromFood, we use chia seeds quite frequently because of their ability to thicken recipes and satisfy hungry.

What is Chia Pudding?

Chia pudding is the nutritious and delicious product that comes from mixing chia seeds with a liquid and allowing the seeds to gel over the course of 30+ minutes. Chia seeds don’t have a natural taste or smell so you can really play with many different flavor combinations. At WellnessFromFood, we like recommending chia pudding as a nutritious, low net carb breakfast. Want more delicious breakfast ideas for weight loss? Check out our FREE breakfast guide

How to Make the Perfect Chia Pudding

If you’re new to chia pudding, you may need to play with the liquid to chia ratio until you get your ideal thickness. However, this is where I recommend starting with a basic recipe:

Basic Chia Pudding (yield: 1 serving)

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Liquid stevia to taste
  • 2 Tbsp protein powder
Instructions (2 methods)
Easy Stir:
  1. In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Stir thoroughly!
  2. Let sit in the refrigerator overnight.
Blender:
  1. In a blender, combine all ingredients. Blend for about 30 seconds, or until smooth.
  2. Enjoy immediately, or pour into a jar, seal, and let sit for a minimum of 30 minutes to thicken.
  3. Once pudding has thickened, add extra almond milk if needed for a smooth texture.

Nutrition Facts: 287 calories, 5 grams net carbs, 16 grams fat, 17 grams protein.

Ingredients for Chia Pudding

The simplest way to create chia pudding is to just mix everything together in a bowl or mason jar and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours until the seeds have absorbed most of the liquid. If you enjoy the texture of tapioca, this is the route to go.

However, if you want to know the secret to a perfectly silky pudding, here it is:

Use a blender!

The blender version of chia pudding will leave you with a thick and satisfying product that is similar to the texture of traditional pudding. If you choose this method, you also have the added benefit of being able to combine all of your additives into the blender with the chia and liquid base. If you opt for the “easy mix” method, you’ll need to wait to add any bulky ingredients such as peanut butter, berries, coconut, etc. until after the seeds have had time to soak up liquid. As with any recipe though, it’s up to you to make it your own according to your flavor and texture preferences! Here are a few WellnessFromFood recipes to get you started:


Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Chia Pudding (yield: 1 serving)

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Liquid stevia to taste
  • 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 Tbsp unsweetened peanut butter
  • 2 Tbsp protein powder
Instructions (2 methods)
Easy Stir:
  1. In a bowl, mix all ingredients except the peanut butter. Stir thoroughly!
  2. Let sit in the refrigerator overnight.
  3. Once pudding has thickened, top with peanut butter and extra almond milk if needed.
Blender:
  1. In a blender, combine all ingredients. Blend for about 30 seconds, or until smooth.
  2. Enjoy immediately, or pour into a jar, seal, and let sit for a minimum of 30 minutes to thicken.
  3. Once pudding has thickened, add extra almond milk if needed for a smooth texture.

Nutrition Facts: 393 calories, 8 grams net carbs, 26 grams fat, 24 grams protein.

Toasted Coconut Almond Chia Pudding (yield: 1 serving)

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Liquid stevia to taste
  • 2 Tbsp toasted slivered almonds
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 Tbsp protein powder
Instructions (2 methods)
Easy Stir:
  1. In a bowl, mix all ingredients except the almonds and coconut. Stir thoroughly!
  2. Let sit in the refrigerator overnight.
  3. Once pudding has thickened, top with peanut butter and extra almond milk if needed.
Blender:
  1. In a blender, combine all ingredients. Consider leaving out half of the coconut and almonds (will use on top). Blend for about 30 seconds until smooth.
  2. Enjoy immediately, or pour into a jar, seal, and let sit for a minimum of 30 minutes to thicken.
  3. Once pudding has thickened, top with extra coconut, almonds, and almond milk if needed for texture.

Nutrition Facts: 443 calories, 8 grams net carbs, 30 grams fat, 21 grams protein.

Delicious Food is Important for Weight Loss.

At WellnessFromFood, we believe that the keys to any successful weight loss program is diet variety. We are committed to helping our clients build a new lifestyle that incorporates a wide assortment of different low carbohydrate dishes. At WellnessFromFood, we won’t just teach you what to change in your diet, we’ll teach you how to make those changes.

Build a new healthy lifestyle you’ll love today: Sign up here.

Want to learn more about our program? Register for a FREE sample lesson.

Gab Headshot

Hi there! I’m Gabby, head registered dietitian at WellnessFromFood. If you have questions, please email me! Want to lose weight with me? Click here

Other health tips that may help you...

Germination of the Seeds...

Turn Any Recipe into a Fat Burner

Guilt-Free Cinco de Mayo