Chia Bowls

You've seen them all over Instagram (#chia, #powerbowl, #toomanyhashtags) and I've been pretty into them myself lately! So why are chia bowls all the rage right now? A multitude of reasons:

  1. They're beyond simple to make: chia pudding basically makes itself overnight in your fridge, add a few berries and your favorite nuts and/or seeds and you've got a stellar breakfast, lunch or snack!
  2. They're loaded with nutrients: a two-tablespoon serving contains 8 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and respectively 15% and 10% of your DRV's of calcium and iron - all on their itty bitty own! 
  3. They're vegan, gluten free and packed with omega-3s and antioxidants!

As if you needed more reasons to love chia, am I right? That's why I'm sharing my favorite bowl combinations for you to try! But first, the basics - how to make chia pudding:

Chia Pudding Ingredients:
1 C almond milk
1/4 C chia seeds (black, white or both!)
1 tbsp. maple syrup, agave or local honey
1 Ball Mason Jar

Add all ingredients to the Mason jar, close the lid and shake, shake shake until combined. Wait approximately 15 minutes and shake it all up again to make sure seeds are evenly distributed.

And that's it. Leave it in your fridge ideally overnight, but at least 4 hours to get the right consistency. Now, for variations!

Tuxedo Pudding
Perfect for breakfast: I took one cup of Siggis Dairy's Triple Cream (9% milk fat) lemon yogurt and topped it with pudding made from a mix of black and white chia seeds, sliced banana, raspberries and pepitas. A little unsweetened shredded coconut and you've got a tropical vacay in a bowl!

Berrylicious Bowl
The product of using chia seeds in their delectable raw state; they add a phenomenal crunch to just about any dish! Atop a bed of plain yogurt with fresh berries, coconut shreds and banana (a chia bowl staple); to really gild the lily, try adding a spoonful of almond butter and a few dots of raspberry chia jam to the mix (available at Whole Foods!). This is one simple meal that will fill you up with great protein and clean energy!

The Basic B Bowl
A snack sensation that doesn't require doing the dishes? Sign me up! Only three ingredients here: my snack time wouldn't be the same without my daily dose of Siggi's Yogurt. Add a sprinkling of raw chia and raspberry chia jam and DIG IN!

That's all for now folks; the beauty of chia bowls is they're entirely up to your imagination! Whichever ingredients you've got on hand will surely do, and feel free to share your renditions with me!

Bon Appetit Y'all! xx,
Mrs. O.

Foster O'Brien