Nuts & seeds
Moderate evidenceChia seeds
17.8 g of ALA and 34.4 g of fibre per 100 g. But ALA converts to EPA at 5–8% and to DHA at under 1%.
Chia yoghurt pudding
Chia seeds take up more than ten times their weight in water. That is why they must be fully hydrated before you eat them — and why swallowing them dry is a bad idea.
2 servings10 min
Ingredients
- Chia seeds4 tbsp (40 g)
- Milk1 cup (240 ml)
- Greek yoghurt1 cup (200 g)
- Blueberries1 cup (150 g)
- Honey or maple syrup1 tbsp (optional)
- Cinnamona pinch (optional)
Method
Combine the chia seeds and milk in a bowl, stirring for about 30 seconds so the seeds do not clump.
Leave five minutes, then stir again. This second stir matters — clumps formed early set with dry seed still inside.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
It should come out thick enough to hold a spoon. If it is loose, add another tablespoon of chia and give it 30 more minutes.
Fold in the Greek yoghurt. Add the honey and cinnamon now if using.
Spoon into glasses and put the blueberries on top. Stirred through, the colour bleeds and the berries go soft.
Cooking note
Chia takes up 10 to 12 times its weight in water. That property makes the pudding — and the same property is why swallowing a spoonful of dry seed and drinking water after is dangerous. Cases of oesophageal obstruction from seeds swelling on the way down have been reported. Always hydrate them fully in liquid first. That is why this recipe asks for four hours.
Do not skip the second stir at five minutes. Chia forms a mucilaginous coat on its surface, and an early clump stays dry inside that coat.
The trials used 25–40 g a day. Two servings here hold 40 g, so 20 g each. Note that in the triglyceride analysis the lower dose actually did more (−13.11 vs −8.69 mg/dL) — there is no reason to pile it in.
A sudden jump in fibre brings bloating and gas. If your usual fibre is low, start with 2 tablespoons and build over several days, and raise your fluid alongside it.
Soy or almond milk work in place of dairy, though milk and soy carry far more protein than almond.
The blueberries go on last for colour and texture. Left to sit overnight, the anthocyanins turn the whole pudding a greyish purple.
Ingredients used here
Dairy & eggs
Moderate evidenceGreek yogurt
It has nearly three times the protein of regular yogurt not because of any special ingredient, but because the liquid was removed. Calcium goes down in the same step.
Fruits
Moderate evidenceBlueberry
Anthocyanins — the pigment behind the blue — are the compound that keeps showing up in vascular and cognitive research. A handful a day is the studied dose.
Dairy & eggs
Moderate evidenceMilk
Few foods deliver calcium this conveniently. But in much of the world, adults stop producing the enzyme that digests lactose.