High Protein Chia

Seed Pudding
Recipe
PALEO, RECIPES, KETO, VEGAN • 5 min

By CHEF SKY HANKA October 12, 2021

Learn how to prepare a simple chia seed

pudding recipe and customize it to your
taste! Chia seed puddings can be a healthy
snack or breakfast packed with protein, fiber,
and healthy fat, not to mention how
incredibly easy it is to make.

About This Recipe

Preparing chia seed pudding is as simple as
mixing your liquid of choice with chia seeds.
When chia seeds are soaked in a liquid they
take on a gel-like quality, transforming the
liquid into a 'pudding' like a treat.

This process takes a couple of hours in the

refrigerator for the chia seeds and liquid to
become gelatinous, which is often why
preparing chia seed puddings the night
before is a great way to meal prep for
breakfast or have a nutrient-dense snack on
hand.

Why Are Chia Seeds So

Nutritious?
Chia seeds come from a specifies of flowing
plant in the mint family called Salvia
Hispanica, native to central and southern
Mexico and Guatemala.

Historically coveted as an important crop for

both the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican
cultures, chia seeds are now grown
commercially around the world from places
like Australia, Bolivia, Peru, to the United
States. They are often considered a superfood
or functional food as these tiny seeds are
nutrient-dense and consumed by health-
conscious people for their various benefits.

Nutritionally, chia seeds are prized for having

a high concentration of plant-based omega-3
fatty acid, specifically alpha-linolenic acid
(ALA).

Increasing your intake of healthy dietary fats

such as omega-3 fatty acids can help provide
you long-lasting energy to fuel your body,
while also aiding in the absorption of
important fat-soluble nutrients (vitamins A, D,
E, and K).

In reality, there isn't such a thing as

"unhealthy food" or fat because no single food
can make or break your health, as your health
is an accumulation of all of your food and
lifestyle choices. But choosing to include
more "good" fats may help reduce your risk of
chronic disease while eating too many other
fats like trans fats could increase your risk (1).

Chia seeds contain a variety of other vitamins

and minerals as well!

A 1 oz (28.35g, about 2 tablespoons) serving of

chia seeds contains about (2,3):

138 calories
5 grams of protein
9 grams of fat
1 gram of net carbs
10 grams of dietary fiber
Calcium: 18% Daily Value
Magnesium: 23% Daily Value
Manganese: 33% Daily value

Two tablespoons of chia seeds are also a

good source of selenium, thiamin (B1), zinc,
and niacin (B3) (2).

Are Chia Seeds Friendly To

all Diet Styles?
Chia seeds are acceptable in pretty much
every type of diet style out there. So whether
you're:

Keto
Paleo
Vegan
Vegetarian
Flexitarian
Whole-foods

Whatever you choose to call your diet you can

enjoy this gluten-free and nutritious
superfood. Chia seeds are also considered a
"pseudo-grain" because they are seeds that
come from a broad-leaf plant that is not a
member of the grass family like wheat and
corn.

Not sure what diet style may be best for you?

Try out this meal plan quiz to help you
identify what nutritional approach you may
need based on your health goals:

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

What diet is best for

you?

Not sure where to start?

Take this 2 min quiz.

Let's Do This

"Superfood" or "functional
food" are unregulated
terms popularly used to
refer to foods that may
provide benefits beyond
their nutritional value, like
improving gut health or
lowering blood pressure.

The Perfect Chia Seed

Pudding Ratio
Most chia puddings contain 2 tablespoons of
chia seeds per 1/2 cup of liquid or milk of
choice. This equates to a gelatinous pudding
similar to a thick smoothie.

Ultimately, the consistency of your chia seed

pudding is up to you! If you enjoy a thicker
pudding add 1/2 tablespoon more chia seeds
until you have reached a consistency that you
like.

In terms of preparing a simple chia seed

pudding recipe you can follow this basic
formula for 1 serving of chia pudding:

2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds

1/2 cup Base Liquid: This can be coconut
milk, almond milk, dairy-based milk,
hemp milk, flax milk, or your favorite milk
alternative

The real fun with preparing a chia seed

pudding is deciding what flavorings or
additional ingredients you would like to use
to create a customized flavor you enjoy. I am
a big fan of customizing and experimenting
with different herbs, fruits, spices, and flavors.

Typical mix-ins include:

Fruit: You can blend in mixed berries,

bananas, or use fruit purees in the base of
your chia seed pudding to add nutrition
and flavor.
Dried Herbs and Spices: lavender,
chamomile, and rose make wonderful
additions to chia seed pudding. You can
also explore using dried mint, cardamon,
cinnamon, nutmeg, and turmeric as well!
Functional Food Powders: These include
dried powders from foods like acai berries,
spirulina, reishi, or Chaga mushrooms.
Protein Powders: Bump up the protein in
your chia seed pudding and also help
thicken the pudding without using too
many chia seeds. Start off with blending
1/2 scoop of any flavor protein powder you
like into your base liquid.
Additional Nuts and Seeds: Nut-butters
such as peanut butter or almond butter,
hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin
seeds, walnuts, or pecans.

You can also top your finished chia seed

pudding with any of the above ingredients as
well along with coconut flakes, cocoa nibs,
and granola!

How to Prepare
Your Chia Pudding
Recipe
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 0 min
Servings: 2

Ingredients
2 tablespoons chia seeds
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 scoop protein powder of choice (2-3
tablespoons)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Toppings:

1 tablespoon coconut flakes

1/4 cup fresh blueberries or strawberries

Kitchen Tools
Measuring cups and spoons
Meal prep containers or bowls
Small whisk or spoon
Blender

Step 1: Measure Ingredients

and Prepare Containers
Gather all of the ingredients needed for your
chia seed pudding including any extra
toppings or ingredients.

For this recipe, you'll blend your berries,

protein powder, lemon zest, vanilla, and
optional stevia with coconut milk in a blender
until smooth.

If you are using protein powder, berries, or any

other ingredients to flavor your liquid, blend
them in a blender as well to ensure
everything blends well and you don't get any
chunks in your pudding.

Step 2: Combine Chia Seeds

with Liquid and Flavorings
Pour the berry mixture into the chia seeds
and stir with a whisk or fork until the chia
seeds are evenly distributed.

Once you have combined your chia seeds

with your base liquid, cover and store in the
fridge for at least 2 hours until thickened or 8
hours overnight. Be sure to stir your pudding
occasionally during this process as the chia
seeds tend to settle to the bottom of your
base liquid isn't very thick. This also prevents
clumps of seeds from forming at the bottom
or sides of the container!

Then top with your favorite toppings like fresh

fruit, granola, or coconut flakes and your chia
seed pudding is ready to eat! You don’t have
to add toppings, but it can add a ton of extra
flavor, just be careful not to overdo it because
a lot of extra toppings will alter the nutritional
content.

Serving and Storing

Chia Seed Pudding

You can make a large batch of chia seed

pudding in a larger container but will have to
stir it occasionally during the thickening
process to ensure the chia seeds are
distributed evenly.

Alternatively, you'll want to combine your chia

seeds with your base liquid in whatever
container you plan on eating your chia seed
putting out of. This could be meal prep
containers, glass jars, mason jars, or whatever
container you have on hand.

Chia seed pudding has a long shelf life and

will typically stay fresh for up to a week in the
fridge.

Chia Seed
Pudding
Variations
There really is no limit to the creative flavors
you can combine when preparing a chia seed
pudding recipe, here are some of our favorites
with measurements for 1 basic recipe of
pudding using 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
and 1/2 cup liquid.

Chocolate Chia Pudding: 1/2 teaspoon

vanilla extract, 1-2 tablespoons cocoa
powder, 1 teaspoon maple, 1/2 teaspoon
cinnamon
Banana Peanut Butter Chia Seed
Pudding: 1/2 banana, 1 tablespoon peanut
butter, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Blueberry Lavander: 1/2 cup blueberries, 1
teaspoon lavender, 1 teaspoon honey

Preparing This
Recipe For Your
Weekly Meal
Prep?
Spending a little more time tailoring your
nutrition to your lifestyle is ultimately self-care
and choosing to be more conscious about
your diet is one way to show yourself some
love while conquering your health goals.

We are here to support you in your journey

and provide tools and tips!

How to Meal Prep in 7 Simple Steps

20 High Protein Snacks that Aren't Peanut
Butter
Meal Prep for Weight Loss Toolkit
Meal Prep for Weight Gain Toolkit
Meal Prep on a Budget

Need help sticking to a low-carb diet?

Whether you are struggling with meal
prepping your food or just not sure if you
are counting carbs correctly, we’ve got you
covered.

Our expert chefs and dietitians have curated

delicious low-carb meals to take all the
frustration out of dieting so you can focus on
you!

Learn More

High Protein Chia

Seed Pudding
Recipe

COOK TIME:

0 min

PREP TIME:

5 min

YIELD:

Print Recipe

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DESCRIPTION

Dig into this high-protein berry and

coconut chia seed pudding that takes
little to no time to make! A perfect recipe
for your meal prep.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 scoop protein powder of choice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional:
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

For Toppings
1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut
flakes
1/4 cup fresh blueberries or
strawberries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For this recipe, you'll blend your

berries, protein powder, lemon zest,
vanilla, and optional sweetener with
coconut milk in a blender until
smooth.

2. Pour the berry mixture into the chia

seeds and stir with a whisk or fork
until the chia seeds are evenly
distributed. Once you have combined
your chia seeds with your base liquid,
cover and store in the fridge for at
least 2 hours until thickened or 8
hours overnight. Be sure to stir your
pudding occasionally during this
process as the chia seeds tend to
settle to the bottom of your base
liquid isn't very thick. This also
prevents clumps of seeds from
forming at the bottom or sides of the
container!

3. Once your pudding has set top it with

your favorite toppings like fresh fruit,
granola, or coconut flakes and your
chia seed pudding is ready to eat! You
don’t have to add toppings, but it can
add a ton of extra flavor, just be
careful not to overdo it because a lot
of extra toppings will alter the
nutritional content.

NUTRITION FACTS
Servings: 1 | Calories Per Serving: 260

Total Fat 11g 14%

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 270mg 12%

Total Carbohydrates 10g 7%

Sugars 2g 0%

Protein 21g 3%

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Did You Make This Recipe?

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#eatlikeyoutrain

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