Integrative Nutrition Recipes

If you want to start your day off feeling amazing, a great way to help achieve that is to wake up in the morning and already have a healthy breakfast ready to eat. This chia pudding recipe will give you that perfect morning in just a few minutes! Healthy, fast and delicious, this recipe covers all the important bases for a top notch breakfast.

Chia seeds are pretty remarkable ingredients – one little chia seed is composed of 60% omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain function and help reduce cholesterol. An excellent source of fiber and packed with antioxidants, these tiny little seeds are miracle workers! The overnight chia pudding recipe is full of nutrient rich chia seeds that will definitely help you start your day off right.

While you can add almost anything to this chia pudding recipe, this particular version includes pecans and coconut. Besides being full of monounsaturated fats (the good kind of fat), pecans are considered a great source of energy (exactly what we’re all looking for in the morning). Coconut adds some magnesium, potassium, and calcium to this recipe while giving the pudding a subtle tropical flavor. Toasting the pecans and coconut before mixing them into the pudding will help bring out the flavors of both ingredients –the pecans will taste nuttier and the coconut will be naturally sweeter.

While almond milk is used in this recipe to make it dairy free, you can substitute any kind of milk you prefer. Coconut milk would be another exceptional dairy free option, while regular whole, raw milk would give you a hearty dose of calcium. An added bonus is that all the ingredients in this pudding are naturally gluten free, which makes this recipe perfect for those with dietary restrictions.

Chia seeds are also known to help you feel full, so a little bowl of this pudding in the morning will help keep you away from those tempting mid-morning snacks. Once the pudding is all mixed up it will keep for six to seven days if refrigerated, so make some extra to last you through the work week!

Overnight Chia Pudding (4 servings)

1/2 cup chia seeds

2 1/2 cups almond milk

1/4 cup toasted coconut

1/4 cup toasted pecans

4 Tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:

1. In a 350 ̊F oven, toast the coconut and pecans on a baking sheet until the coconut begins to turn golden brown. This should take 6-8 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix the chia seeds, coconut and pecans together.
3. Add the almond milk to the bowl and stir. At this point, you can wrap the pudding and put it in the fridge. However, if you have time, keep the pudding out of the fridge for the next hour and give it a little stir whenever you walk by. This will help prevent the pudding from having large clumps and give it a more even texture. After an hour, wrap the bowl and put it in the fridge overnight.

   

4. In the morning, drizzle the pudding with a little maple syrup and enjoy!

Recipe Tips:

– Any nut can be used in the place of pecans; try switching and using walnuts or cashews, both of which will taste great with the toasted coconut.

– Try adding fresh berries to the pudding in the morning for a bonus breakfast boost.

– This pudding is also great as dessert and can be modified by adding a sweet item, such as chocolate chips.

Integrative Nutrition is the world’s largest nutrition school and Health Coach Training Program. Through our innovative, one-year online course, students learn the principles of health coaching, business skills, and over 100 different dietary theories with lectures by the world’s leading experts.