Ingredients for two people
- 4 tbsp organic chia seeds
- 250 ml plant-based milk
- 2 tbsp plant-based protein powder
- 1 tbsp sweetener
- 100 g strawberries or raspberries
- 2 tbsp vegan yoghurt
Preparation
- Mash the berries lightly with a fork.
- Mix the ingredients and leave to soak for an hour.
- Thin with vegan yoghurt, such as coconut yoghurt.
- Divide the pudding between 2 bowls.
- Garnish and enjoy
The seeds of the chia plant (Salvia Helvetica) are rich in dietary fibre and are therefore considered very filling. Chia seeds swell up a lot when placed in liquids because they can absorb 25 times their weight in water. This increases the weight up to 10 times and therefore the volume of a meal. However, the amount of calories remains constant, and the satiated feeling lasts longer. Chia seeds are good for low-calorie diets.
Chia seeds have been approved in the EU since 2013. At that time, they were a novel foodstuff. Originally from Mexico, the chia plant is cultivated in many Latin American countries and was a basic foodstuff and remedy of the ancient Maya people. Chia seeds outperform many other tried and tested foodstuffs in terms of the amount of antioxidants, calcium, potassium, iron, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids they contain. “Chia” is a Mayan expression and aptly means “strength”.
Berries, such as strawberries or raspberries, contain a lot of vitamins, minerals, fibre and phytochemicals that can help to regenerate damaged body cells. Strawberries and raspberries are low in calories. It is essential to pay attention to whether they have been harvested when in season. Nevertheless, autumn berries ripen from August until the first frost in October/November and can therefore be used in this chia pudding with a clear conscience.
Oat, almond, soy and grain milk … the list of alternatives to animal milk is long. As with everything, there are pros and cons. It's best to experiment and find out what suits you best. For environmental reasons, it should be noted that the production of one litre of almond milk, for example, produces significantly less climate-damaging CO2 than the production of the same amount of cow's milk. Ultimately, there are many factors to consider. Almond cultivation in particular requires much water.
However, a detailed discussion of this topic would go beyond the scope of this delicious chia pudding recipe and would have to be tackled in more detail in a separate blog post.