- Hey there Taylor, from The Girl on Bloor blog
and I am back with another meal prep breakfast win
for those of you who struggle
with eating first thing in the morning.
Let me introduce you to this easy 10-minute meal prep idea.
Chia seed pudding.
This is one of the easiest recipes you'll ever make
and it's so perfect for meal prep
because you can literally prep the jars ahead of time,
grab one and go every single day of the week.
But here's the best part,
you can switch up the flavors with different add-ins
and toppings so you don't feel as though
you have to eat the same thing every single day.
Genius, am I right?
With just four easy ingredients,
chia seed pudding is one of those simple recipes
you should have in your arsenal for busy weeks
where you know you might fall off the healthy eating train.
There's really no excuse to skip breakfast
when you know that you have these jars
on hand in the fridge.
The same thing goes for healthy snacking
because you can totally use these jars as a quick
and easy pick me up in the afternoon.
I'm talking healthy sugars from the fruit,
some protein from the Greek yogurt,
and chia seeds.
You really can't go wrong with this combo.
I don't know about you but I hate breakfast.
I know this is gonna cause a huge debate
and you breakfast lovers are really gonna hate on me
but I just can't be bothered to eat breakfast.
It's definitely a bad habit of mine,
but I just don't get super hungry until late in the morning,
and then by the time I do want to eat breakfast,
I'm so hungry that I feel as though
I can't even wait five minutes to scramble some eggs.
Maybe it doesn't help that I'm a super impatient person
but I swear breakfast is just one of those meals I really
struggle with because I feel like don't need it
and all of a sudden I gotta eat something right away
or I'm super angry.
I can't be the only one who's fallen
into this trap in the morning.
Because I know who I am and I hate doing this to myself
one of the best ways to prevent the breakfast anger
is to ensure that I already have it prepped
and ready to go ahead of time.
And that's where this easy chia seed pudding comes in handy.
Now, I've spent the past however long ranting and raving
about my breakfast issues,
in part because I've gotta make these YouTube videos
five minutes long and these chia seed pudding
only takes like, two minutes to put together.
As you'll soon see.
I'm not kidding.
This is probably one of the quickest recipes
I have on my blog so when I say there's zero excuse
not to prep them ahead of time, I am quite serious.
So, let's break down what's in my chia seed puddings.
First up, grab an eight-ounce Mason jar.
You can find Mason jars online,
at your local hardware store or at most big-box stores,
and you can sometimes find them at grocery stores.
I've linked to the Mason jars I use below this video
so check them out if you're interested.
I have a gazillion on hand, in a variety of different sizes,
because they do come in handy for other meal prep recipes
such as soups and salads.
So I recommend that you get a bunch for your kitchen.
Oops, I'm rambling to stretch out the YouTube video again.
Sorry about that.
Okay, so you're going to add,
1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt,
and two tablespoons of chia seeds
to the bottom of each Mason jar.
Please note that what I'm sharing here today
and what's listed out in the recipe card on my blog
is one serving only.
So you're gonna want to add the above ingredient
amounts to each Mason jar.
I personally like making chia puddings one at a time
in each Mason jar to avoid a ton of clean up
because if you make a big batch
then you have to mix everything together
in a large mixing bowl,
so you've just created a bunch of dishes,
and then you have to potion the mixture out
into Mason jars which also risks making a mess.
By making the puddings one at a time in each Mason jar
you can also control how many of them
you're making at a time.
For instance, if you know that you get sick
of eating the same thing every day,
but just want to prep a bit in advance,
maybe you'll only want to make the three jars
that you eat every other day
and have something else for breakfast in between.
Making the jars one at a time just allows you
that flexibility and honestly, the mess situation is real.
I feel like most people enjoy cooking
but it's the clean up that prevents them
from following through sometimes.
Ain't nobody got time for a bunch of dishes.
So once you have your Greek yogurt
and chia seeds added, your gonna mix them together
with some sweetener like honey.
I like to add these thicker ingredients first,
and get them all mixed up
before I add the final ingredient which is almond milk.
If you prefer to skip the sweetener
you can add any flavor of Greek yogurt,
but just keep in mind that it'll make it harder
to control the added sugars
and might pack on a few more calories.
I prefer to use Greek yogurt,
just plain Greek yogurt I should say,
then add a tiny bit of honey or maple syrup.
Another way to add natural sweetness
without having to add a sweetener
is to mash up half a banana
and mix it with the Greek yogurt and chia seeds.
I'd say half a banana per jar would work.
The only downside is that banana won't keep for as many days
in the fridge as my original recipe
but it should still hold up for at least two or three days
so there is that option
if you're just making a couple of jars
to get your week started.
At this point, you can also choose to add in mix in
to create different flavor profiles
such as cocoa powder, vanilla extract,
almond extract or shredded coconut.
Even peppermint extract and cocoa powder
would make a delicious mint chocolate Soylent,
so feel free to get creative here.
Cause it's a great way to feel as though you aren't
eating the same thing every single day.
That's how meal prep gets a bad rap,
the whole repetition thing.
So definitely feel free to switch it up here
since it's easy to do jar by jar.
Once you've got the base of your chia pudding
it's time to add in some almond milk.
Feel free to use regular dairy milk
or any other type of dairy-free milk
such as coconut milk, oat milk, soya milk,
or cashew milk.
You just want a little bit of extra liquid
because the chia seeds will expand
and form a creamy pudding-like consistency
after sitting for a while.
Now sometimes people have issues
with the chia seeds clumping together,
so if you want to make sure that you mix everything up
let it sit for a minute or two and then stir again.
What you can also do is to prevent clumping
by stirring them after they've set for an hour or so.
This should help.
Once you've got all your chia puddings,
pop them into the fridge
and let them sit for at least two hours.
Overnight is preferable but they are definitely good to go
after a couple of hours.
We all know how impatient I am.
So you fellow impatient people like me, this is the
absolute minimum of how long you should wait for.
You do want those chai seeds to start to expand
and form that pudding-like consistency.
So please don't try going to eat them
after just five minutes.
Trust me, I've tried it, it just doesn't work like that.
When you're ready to eat these little jars of goodness,
I recommend topping them with some fruit
just to add in some extra fiber and nutrients.
And you can even add some extra toppings
such as shredded coconut, nuts and seeds, granola,
whatever else your heart desires.
You can eat them right out of the Mason jar
so they're also great for taking to work
or anything else you happen to be doing on the go.
And there you have it.
The easiest four-ingredient snack or breakfast
you'll ever make.
I've got you covered with a ton of other easy breakfast
and snack ideas on the blog,
so be sure to head over if you're looking to
up your meal prep game this year.
I've linked to my breakfast and snack archives below
this video to make it easier for you.
If you like this video be sure to subscribe
and I can't wait to see you in the next video.
(soft music)