As someone who grew up absolutely loving sweets, any sweets, all sweets, I would be pretty hard pressed to pick my favorite childhood dessert. However, I can easily pick my favorite childhood dessert memory! When I was younger, my Dad would make real stovetop pudding, and then add a scoop of ice cream that melted into the warm pudding. It was always spontaneous, and it always seemed like an extra fun and special treat, like it was an adult dessert that we were special enough to be included in. So now that we have our own kiddos, how could I possibly leave pudding out of their favorite dessert memories?
Sure enough, the love of pudding lives on through this recipe! The first time I made it for our family, it was as a solution to early mornings at church with a hungry baby that didn’t want to wake up extra early for breakfast. We would just grab the jar and a spoon and head out, and Ben and Elena would scarf down almost an entire quart of pudding long before church ever started! Three years and two more babies later, and we still can’t get enough of this pudding! As a mom, the only thing better than watching my kids enjoy something that was special to me growing up, is knowing that I can throw it together in just a few minutes and have it ready in the fridge for whenever anyone wants it! So we’ve covered quick, easy, few ingredients, and DELICIOUS! Do we really need to talk about anything else? Of course we do! Talk about a healthy breakfast/treat! If anyone ever wanted to boost their omega-3 fatty acid intake (which everyone ought to!), then look no further! This is your can-not-live-without treat. But “omega-3” can be a lot like “antioxidants”, everyone knows that they’re good, but not many people know why they’re so important.
The first thing to understand regarding omega-3 fatty acids is that they come in different forms, and some are more beneficial than others. Pound for pound, chia seeds have considerably more omega-3s than the commonly thought of omega-3 go-to foods (salmon, tuna, trout, shellfish, etc.). The reason for this is that fatty fish have the forms of omega-3s known as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid); these are the forms of omega-3s that the body is able to utilize. Plants on the other hand, such as chia, walnuts, flax, etc., contain the omega-3 ALA (alpha-linolenic acid); this type of omega-3 needs to be converted into EPA or DHA before it is able to be used by our bodies. However, whatever form of omega-3 you consume, once it’s been converted into a usable form, these compounds are vital to our mental and physical health. Physically, DHA is a large factor in maintaining the proper structure of the retina, so a DHA deficiency can lead to visual degradation. It also plays a massive role in the development of the brain both in utero and in the early development of infants. Children who received ample omega-3s in utero and in early childhood, show higher intelligence and communication skills, and simultaneously display fewer developmental issues. Omega-3s are a substantial contributor to good heart health, working in the body to lower triglycerides and blood pressure, increase good HDL cholesterol, reduce blood clots and inflammation, and also promote increased arterial health by decreasing plaque and therefore increasing the elasticity of the artery walls. Mentally, EPA omega-3 is proven in many cases to improve the efficacy of antidepressants when taken in tandem because of their anti-inflammatory effects on serotonin receptors in the brain. These EPA omega-3s have also been proven to lessen symptoms such as mood swings and violence in individuals with more severe mental disorders like schizophrenia and BPD. One of the more well known mental benefits of EPA omega-3s is the improvement of age related memory issues and even Alzheimer’s symptoms. Their natural anti-inflammatory effect throughout the body helps lower the risk of cancers, reduce the severity of asthma (especially in children), and helps to reduce belly fat (specifically through restoring liver health). And if anyone needed just a bit more convincing, being a key structural component of the skin makes DHA omega-3s a key factor in keeping skin soft and youthful, and they also play a large role in quality of sleep through their effect on melatonin levels.
Unfortunately, as is often the case, synthetic omega-3 or generic fish oil supplements typically do not yield the same (if any) results as when they are obtained through a natural food source. Which is why finding a quick, easy, tasty recipe, that’s loaded with such a vital component to our nutritional health is so important! This is a perfect example of changing our perspective on food from, “what am I in the mood to eat?”, to “what does my body need to eat?”, and then working from there to make sure it tastes good! Our food is one of the few areas in our life where we truly get to have the best of both worlds: health, and taste, and personally I love taking on the challenge of bringing the two together!
Peanut Butter Cup Chia Pudding Recipe:
2 C Milk (any variety)
1/4 C Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2-3 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
3 Tbsp Natural Nut Butter (or Peanut Butter Powder)
2 tsp Pure Vanilla
Pinch Salt
1/2 C Chia Seeds
Mix everything other than chia seeds thoroughly, add chia seeds and mix well Cover in a bowl or quart sized mason jar in the fridge over night.
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