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Learn how to make healthy homemade chia pudding with just three ingredients

Edited and resized image by Kaffee Meister is available on Unsplash

Making chia pudding is one of the easiest ways to get a quick, healthy, lactose-free and animal cruelty-free dessert. Chia seed, also called Hispanic sage seed, is very beneficial for health, and coconut milk, another essential ingredient in chia pudding, is also not far behind.

• Vegan philosophy: know and ask your questions

about chia

The chia seed belongs to the herbaceous lamia family, originally found in southern Mexico and Guatemala. Its seed has been consumed for centuries by Andean peoples and warriors to increase physical strength and for countless other health benefits. Chia was also used in sacred rituals as an offering to the gods, which is why its cultivation was banned by Catholics and was only resumed in the 1990s by Argentine researchers. That's when it and its derivatives, such as chia oil, started to become popular.

Those warriors were not wrong. Chia has a high nutritional value, is full of antioxidants, contains omega 3, fiber, vitamins, minerals such as magnesium and potassium and complete proteins, being considered one of the few vegetables to offer such a high nutritional value.

about coconut milk

There is evidence that the fats in coconut milk can help you lose weight and improve metabolism. This is because the fatty part of coconut milk goes from the digestive tract directly to the liver, where it is used to produce energy or ketone, being less likely to be stored as fat (see study about it here: 1).

Some studies that analyzed coconut fats, specifically coconut oil, suggest that they have the property of reducing appetite and decreasing calorie intake compared to other fats (see the studies about it here: 2, 3, 4, 5).

One study suggests it may benefit people with normal or high cholesterol levels. The study that examined the effects of coconut milk in 60 men found that coconut milk porridge lowered "bad" LDL cholesterol more than soy milk porridge. Coconut milk porridge also increased “good” HDL cholesterol by 18%, compared to just 3% for soy.

How to make vegan chia pudding with coconut milk

Ingredients

• 2 cups (500 ml) of preferably homemade coconut milk (see here how to make homemade coconut milk)
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or agave syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)
• 1/2 cup of chia seeds (85 g)

Method of preparation

1. Add liquid ingredients to a bowl (milk, syrup and vanilla extract) and stir until smooth;
2. Add chia seeds and stir again;
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours;
4. When you're ready to eat, mix well, serve and cover as you like with fruit, cocoa, açaí, among other options