Banana Chia Pudding

Chia, an edible seed from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, is generally associated with Chia Pets but dates back as a food to Mayan and Aztec cultures. "Chia" means "strength," and folklore has it that these cultures used the tiny black and white seeds as an energy booster. The seeds are a concentrated food containing healthy omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidents, protein, and calcium. Mixed with water they make a great egg substitute in baked goods, and also make a delicious and easy pudding with a tapioca-like consistency.

There is a huge variety of chia pudding recipes on the internet, and I used several for basic inspiration before I came up with this one through a little trial and error. It makes a big batch (you can halve it if you wish) because BW just loves the stuff for breakfast and goes through it at a rather alarming rate (given the cost of chia seed!) We get our organic black chia seeds in various brands and from various sources, depending on where the best bargain can be found.

Banana Chia Pudding

1 cup chia seeds
1-2 very ripe bananas
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
3¼ - 3½ cups vanilla almond milk

Stir spices into chia seed and add almond milk. Mix in banana chunks. Stir well and let sit in fridge for at least an hour, stirring again before serving.