Switch up your morning with this quick and easy Chai Chia Pudding recipe. This gluten and dairy free healthy breakfast recipe contains the warm, spicy flavors of chai and packed with fiber, protein and healthy fat thanks to the combination of chia seeds and Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. This recipe is the perfect way to begin your day and jump start your metabolism. Skip to the recipe.
For half my life I struggled with emotional eating, food addiction, and binge-and-restrictive cycle of eating that consumed my life. During the holiday season, things only got worse.
My first diet was in the fourth grade, and for over 20 years I was utterly desperate to change my body.
I would feel stressed, anxious or depressed, and food was my savior. I vividly remember standing in front of the food pantry in my childhood home after a tough day at school, finishing half a bag of Oreos and feeling a sense of relief wash over me. That sense of relief was immediately followed by an extreme sense of guilt and remorse; however, in that moment, I was happy just to feel something; an emotion beyond stress, anxiety and deep sadness.
Have you been there?
Today I’m free. Food no longer controls my emotions. I’m no longer fearful of the holidays or terrified that I’m going to overeat. I’m no longer held captive to the cycle of binging and restricting.
How did I make this shift? Through learning proper nutrition on how to fuel my body and developing a spiritual practice.
The holiday season is in full swing and for many of us it is the busiest time of the year. When things get busy, it is easy to let our health take a back seat and let restrictive behaviors and thoughts creep in.
“I over indulged last night. Today I’ll be good.” “I don’t have time to meal prep.”
The Importance of Breakfast
Skipping breakfast to save calories because you feel like you overdid it the night before or grabbing a highly processed baked good from the coffee shop on the way to the office because you didn’t make time for breakfast is one of the worst decisions you can make to start your day.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It sets the tone for your day, jump-starts your metabolism and can stabilize your blood sugar; keeping mood swings at bay and helping you focus and be more productive.
I recommend that you eat breakfast no later than two hours after waking up and focus on a combination of protein, fiber and fat. During the winter months, you also want to focus on a warm breakfast over a frozen smoothie or cold fruit to keep your digestive fire strong.
Need a quick and easy breakfast idea to get your through the holiday season? Try this Chai Chia Pudding recipe.
Chai Chia Pudding Recipe
This Chai Chia Pudding recipe takes about 15 minutes to make and is packed with over 25 grams of protein, 20 grams of fiber and filled with healthy fats and warming spices! Making it the perfect breakfast for a busy on-the-go morning during the holiday season.
This recipe contains two nutritional and blood sugar stabilizing powerhouses, Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides and chia seeds. One serving of Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides contains 18 grams of protein, zero grams of sugar and is only 70 calories. The original Collagen Peptides are completely tasteless so they are perfect to add to any recipe for a protein boost.
Chia seeds are another nutritional powerhouse. One ounce of chia seeds contains 4 grams of protein, 9 grams fat, and 11 grams of fiber.
To make this breakfast, you’ll simply add hemp or nut milk, chia seeds, and spices to medium saucepan. Whisk together over medium to low heat to expand and thicken the mixture. Then, pour this mixture into a bowl or Mason jar, layer with coconut yogurt and your choice of toppings!
Chai Chia Pudding Recipe
Ingredients:
⅓ cup chia seeds
1 cup hemp milk or another unsweetened non-dairy milk alternative
2 scoops Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground ginger
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground cardamom and cloves
2 tsp maple syrup (optional)
Optional Toppings:
½ honeycrisp apple
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp coconut oil melted
⅛ cup of pecans, chopped
⅛ cup of shredded coconut
½ cup unsweetened vanilla coconut yogurt
Directions:
1.) Add all of the ingredients for chia pudding, except for coconut yogurt, in a medium sauce pot on medium to low heat on the stove top. Whisk everything together until combined.
2.) Keep stirring for until your pudding thickens ups, about 5 – 7 minutes.
Toppings
1.) Chop apple into small sections
2.) In a small mixing bowl, coat apple with cinnamon and coconut oil
3.) Place in a small sauté pan and cook over medium heat until apple is warmed
4.) Layer chia seed pudding with unsweetened coconut yogurt and top with apple, shredded coconut and pecans.
Thank You Vital Proteins for sponsoring this post and thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible. As always, opinions are my own.
Patrick Sporleder Photography