My husband surprised me last night by coming home with a brand new bag of chia seeds - and then saying they were for him and not me. He told me had overheard on a podcast you could make a type of pudding or porridge with them.

"You mean overnight oats?"

Yes something like that. Well I was blown away that he would even want to try this himself and of course went on a long excited chia seed rant about the amazing health benefits of chia (Omega 3s! Antioxidants! Vitamins! Fiber!) and followed him around the kitchen testing new combos in mason jars.

I may have scared him.


The nutritionista in me obviously can't talk enough about the health benefits of chia, but you may be wondering, what are they really and what are "overnight oats"?

What are Chia Seeds?

Chia are edible seeds that come from a desert plant. You can eat them raw, crushed or blended but when you put them in liquid overnight - say with almond milk or yogurt - they expand into this yummy gooey type of pudding.

Sweat Guru posted a fabulous expose on chia this week which highlights its various health benefits. My favorites:

• They aid in weight loss! Chia seeds are known to control your appetite because you will feel fuller, longer, as they expand. 
• Research shows they also slow down the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar, making them a beneficial food for diabetics
• They contain nine percent of the daily value for protein; 13 percent fat (57 percent of which is ALA); and 42 percent dietary fiber. 
• Last but not least, Chia seeds bind to toxins in your intestines, encouraging the bad stuff to pass through!

Banana Chia Overnight Oat Pudding

This is an easy, quick breakfast dish you can prep the night before and grab as you go out the door. It's very simple and you can play around with tons of variations.

Updated Amounts*
I eyeball everything, so when I actually measured ingredients upon request, I had to modify a few times to get it where I wanted it to be. Experiment and combine ingredient amounts to your taste level. Remember the chia will expand.

1/2 a banana
2-3 tablespoons chia seeds
1/3 cup steel cut oats (or oat bran)
1/3-1/2 cup of almond milk (or soy/coconut milk)

*for chunky chia like the one pictured, I used ~3 tbs of chia seeds. I was very full afterwards!



You can sub things like Ezekiel flax in for the oats, soy milk for almond, or even add a little greek yogurt. The chia just needs something liquid to expand it overnight.

Combine in a jar, stir, cover, and refrigerate.


In the morning, top with fresh berries, honey, whatever you please! This was actually sweet enough on its own.





Have you experimented with any other combos? Leave me a note below and maybe it will be featured on FGK!
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