MORE HEALTHY YUMMIES: Chia Pudding

I'm happy fit is being the "in" thing lately and I am glad that every time I browse through Instagram, I see easy-peasy creative ideas on how to eat healthy. There are times that I zone out in one page and click on the food and search recipes on how to recreate them.

My pole dance teacher Christina Dy is an amazing teacher and an inspiration.  She teaches us how to prettify simple tricks. She pushes us to go beyond our comfort zone and take flight. She taught me the beauty of wearing red lipstick and eyeliner to class, and we can rock it that way. She taught us that a beautiful pole routine need not have super complicated and body-breaking tricks but it needs also theme, flow, and concept. And she has introduced us to the fun world of healthy, hypoallergenic eating. Having a lot of food allergies, CD has discovered ways of making yummy and healthy food, and she shares it with her posts. She has made healthy vegan popsicles, pasta, and many more.

[Screenshots of the awesome recipes at Christina Dy's Instagram account]

 I have adapted some of the yummy hypoallergenic recipes she shares in my own kitchen. I don't have a lot of food allergies but I like eating healthy and knowing that there "safe" recipes that are yummy and also very healthy. Most people who are allergic to seafood or chicken are all red meat and no gulay because gulay and fruit are gross. These recipes show you that there are also tasty veggie and fruit things.  Best of all, they are very easy to do.

I've been making my own versions of her chia pudding recipe. I love chia pudding. It gives me my sweet fix and fills me just right. It's got the tapioca (sago) feel and the crunch after,  It's quite easy to do. I can make several cups that I can eat when I want something to snack on. Also, it makes me eat my daily fruit requirements and I can have my fruit raw.

[Image Source]

Chia seeds are fun. They go in my smoothie and my yogurt and I can toss them in salads. Before energy drinks were invented, chia seeds  were used by the Mayans and Aztecs to provide sustainable energy (with no energy crash!). The word "chia" actually means strength. It is also an excellent source of antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein. I need all my bone-building nutrients!!!!!

My first chia pudding was first topped with strawberries, since that was the first recipe I learned.  Also, I am taking advantage of these months as strawberries are in season and are very cheap in the market and are less tart as compared to their off-season selves.

How to make:

In a container, combine coconut milk and chia seeds (I bought both in Healthy Options) in a 2:1 ratio. Mix well. Refrigerate overnight. It may look soupy at first but as chia seeds soak up, they form this gelatinous coating that thickens things up. Stir and then  top with sliced fruit and drizzle with honey or sprinkle with coconut sugar/muscovado sugar.

FINISHED

And it doesn't have to be just strawberries. My personal favorite is mango, I will definitely make this again come summertime when mangoes are in season and are so much cheaper and sweeter. I also added mango slices and a bit of the mango juice into the coconut milk before placing it in the ref overnight. Then, I topped it with more mango slices and sprinkled some coconut sugar. It reminds me of mangoes and sticky rice, a favorite Thai resto dessert, Take that sugar-loaded mango float.

Not really hypoallergenic but for chocolate lovers, there is a chocolate version of it as well. Combine coconut milk with raw cacao powder, vanilla, and coconut sugar or honey you form chocolate milk. The taste is mild instead of over-the-top sweet, but you can adjust to the sweetness level you like. Grate dark chocolate on top or top with fruit, Perfect for Valentine's!

I just got this idea a while ago... chili chocolate by adding a tiny bit of cayenne pepper and organic honey. I made a small container first because I wasn't sure how it would taste like.

See? Good food can be yummy too! Maybe I can make one lychee with almond milk come Chinese New Year to go with my water-saute chow mein with veggie noodles and orange chicken breast.



Update: I just had the chili chocolate. The taste is fun. It starts out as a mellow chocolate flavor then comes the sweetness of the honey then the spicy kick of the cayenne.  Should have made more.