Strawberry Mint Chia Pudding

This post is in collaboration with The Wellbeing Network. The Wellbeing Network is dedicated to making health and wellness accessible for everyone.

When the farmer’s market is abundant and overflowing with new fruits and vegetables, it’s easy to get carried away. The bright colours and wonderful aromas call to us like a siren song from the aisles until you walk away with something that wasn’t even on your list at all.

Strawberries are a strong seductress, especially in the summer. The deep reds and fresh, clean flavours are hard to resist, so you buy a basket or two. Or three. Now you’ve got way too many berries and not enough ways to eat them before they get bad.

Before you consider just chopping them up and putting them in your cereal again or in another smoothie, try them in a chia pudding. Chia seeds are considered a “superfood” because of their high antioxidant, omega-3 fatty acid, and fiber content. When soaked in water, they expand and create a gel, which is perfect for puddings. The gelling properties means chia seeds can also be a good thickener or egg substitute.

Before you consider just chopping them up and putting them in your cereal again or in another smoothie, try them in a chia pudding. Chia seeds are considered a “superfood” because of their high antioxidant, omega-3 fatty acid, and fiber content. When soaked in water, they expand and create a gel, which is perfect for puddings. The gelling properties means chia seeds can also be a good thickener or egg substitute.

Chia puddings are extremely versatile. You can enjoy one for breakfast, a snack, or even as dessert! Once you own chia seeds, it’s a great go-to treat when you don’t have anything else sweet in the house. This treat is also very easy to make! Combine chia seeds, liquid and some natural sweeteners (pureed fruit, maple syrup, vanilla, fresh herbs, honey…) and just put it in the fridge for a few hours and you have pudding.

You can approach adding fruit into chia puddings in two ways: you can blend the fruit down to a puree (adding some maple syrup for sweetness, if needed) or you can chop the fruit up and layer it with the pudding more like a parfait. Depending on your preference, both ways add great flavor, vitamins and minerals to your already nutritionally dense pudding.

So the next time you buy one too many strawberries, rest assured knowing that a great chia pudding is just around the corner.