Sweet Potato Chia Seed Pudding

Have you jumped on the chia seed bandwagon yet?  They are everywhere and for good reason!  

Some of the benefits of chia seeds:

• High in antioxidants
• High in fiber
• Contains high quality protein
• High in Omega – 3 fatty acids
• Improves metabolic health by improving cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure and and reducing inflammation
• High in calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus which is essential for bone health

I recently discovered a Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding made by Nature’s Emporium and have become slightly obsessed with it.  At the same time, I felt incredibly lazy purchasing it because it seems so simple to make!  And it is!  I was excited that I had all of the ingredients already at home so I decided to experiment with creating my own version of Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding.  I don’t normally have pumpkin at home to puree, but normally have a BPA-free can of pumpkin.  On this particular day I realized that I had actually purchased sweet potato puree in error.  Still determined to make chia pudding at home, I decided to continue my experiment.  Sweet Potatoes have many health benefits including:  high in vitamin A, vitamin B5 and B6 and carotenoids, a source of vitamin C, vitamin D, iron, magnesium, and potassium.  Sweet potatoes also are naturally quite sweet but have a low glycemic index meaning that the sugars are slow releasing to ensure a balanced source of energy.  Because they are sweeter than pumpkin, I realized that I really didn’t need additional sweeteners in my pudding.  An extra plus!  The end result was a creamy, mildly sweet and spicy pudding, but I didn’t stop there!  Like smoothies, you can add additional superfood ingredients to give your chia pudding a boost!  On this particular day I added Ashwagandha, an adaptogenic herb, that helps your body cope with both external and internal stresses and protects your immune system.  

I created the recipe below and measurements are approximated.  Feel free to experiment with pumpkin or sweet potato and add a few superfoods in if you wish.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Chia Pudding

1 Cup of Sweet Potato Puree

1 Cup of Almond Milk (Any non-dairy milk with do.  Cashew Milk would be amazing!)

2 tbls of Chia Seeds

1/2 tps of raw ground vanilla bean (Heavenly!)

1 1/2 tps of pumpkin spice

Maple Syrup to taste OPTIONAL

Crushed walnuts or other nut or seed as garnish

1. Combine Sweet Potato, almond milk, chia seeds, vanilla, spice and maple syrup (if using) in a bowl and mix well.
2. Allow pudding to rest for a minimum 2 hours or over night.
3. Top with crushed walnuts and ENJOY!

Love and light,

Lisa x

Author: Lisa Bender

Lisa Bender, studio director, is an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner, Registered Massage Therapist and STOTT® Certified Pilates Instructor. Lisa believes that optimal health begins with intelligent exercise and unifying body and physiological function.