Lately, I have been getting bored with my morning breakfast routine so I started exploring new options. At the same time I am beginning to prepare for my spring cleanse and am moving away from from certain foods. Chia seeds make a delicious breakfast pudding that has quickly become my new morning favorite. If you don’t know about chia its loaded with plenty of good stuff. The word “Chia” is a Mayan word that means strength. The seeds contain one of the highest known plant sources of essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6), which are great for your heart health. Chia seeds also help to stabilize blood sugar, are detoxifying for the colon, high in protein and energizing. To give my chia pudding some extra crunch I like to top it with homemade granola.
Why not start your day with this supercharged super seed?
Enjoy!
Morning Crunch Granola and Chia Pudding
Chia Pudding – Makes a couple of servings
- 8 tablespoons chia seeds – soaked in 2 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 large bananas
- 2 cups blueberries
In a large bowl, soak 8 tablespoons of chia seeds in 2 1/2 cups of warm water. Set aside for 10-15 minutes until the seeds gelatinize and thicken. Blend chia seeds, blueberries, and 1 1/4 bananas in a blender. Serve with thin slices of remaining 3/4 banana and granola.
Morning Crunch Granola
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup raw shelled pistachios
- 1 cup mixed raw seeds like sunflower and pumpkin
- 1/2 cup raw coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup raw pecans, coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup, grade B
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup packed coconut palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 cup dried sour cherries
Preheat oven to 300°F. Place all ingredients accept for the dried cherries in a large bowl. Mix until well-combined. Spread mixture in an even layer on a cookie sheet. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until granola is golden and toasty—about 45 minutes.
Remove granola from oven and add dried cherries. Let cool. Feel free to improvise. Add different dried fruit, switch in walnuts for the pecans, add millet seed—just keep the maple syrup, olive oil, and salt. You can store the granola in an airtight container for up to a month.
Experiment and Enjoy!