Chia Breakfast Bowl

Start your day with a delicious helping of nourishing chia pudding and fresh fruit.

Whether I want my day to be productive and full of energy or chilled out and full of relaxation, it’s super important that I eat something nourishing for breakfast. If you feel the same way, then this simple, healthy recipe is going to be perfect for you.

Basically, this recipe consists of chia pudding and fresh fruit. The chia seeds don’t have much of a flavor themselves, so they can easily be flavored with your choice of milk or sweetener. For this recipe, I like to use unsweetened almond milk, but you can also use vanilla or even chocolate almond milk. As far as sweeteners go, I like to opt for something natural, like honey or maple syrup. It depends on what I’m in the mood for and what I have in my kitchen.

As I mentioned, this chia breakfast bowl recipe is simple. Probably one of the most simple takes on chia pudding out there. But if you’ve made this and loved it, there are so many different variations on chia pudding, including matcha, coconut, chocolate, banana, and even pumpkin: pick your favorite flavor or give them all a try.

What are chia seeds?

You may be familiar with chia seeds from those iconic Chia Pet toys, which are figurines that you water until the hidden seeds sprout. Yes, chia pudding comes from the same seeds! Though the toys have been around since the late 1970s, chia seeds have been around for a much longer time. The seeds come from a plant called Salvia hispanica that is native to central and southern Mexico. Today, chia is grown and consumed widely across North America, Central America, and South America as well as in Australia and the United Kingdom. But there is also evidence that it was cultivated all the way back in Aztec and Mayan times.

There must be something special about a seed that stays relevant for so long. Well, there is: chia seeds are hygroscopic, which means that when you soak them, they absorb up to 12 times their weight in liquid, giving each seed a thick, gel-like coating. This coating on each individual seed is exactly what gives recipes like this chia breakfast bowl that magic texture.

How do I store leftovers?

Once you’ve made your chia pudding, you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days. The chia seeds will continue to absorb liquid as they sit in the fridge, so the longer you keep them in there, the thicker the consistency will be. Be sure to store your fruit separately to prevent the fruit and your chia pudding from becoming too soggy.

Serving suggestions

If I’m starting my day with this nourishing chia breakfast bowl, I’m going to want to continue my health kick and pair it with something that’s also nutritious. A green smoothie, for example, is a great way to incorporate not only fruit but also vegetables into my breakfast. You can always count on this Green Smoothie or this Kale Smoothie, and this Mint Chocolate Green Smoothie is perfect for days when your sweet tooth is acting up but you still want to fit some extra greens into your day.