- A few months ago on Instagram I did a little test
to see if you could freeze chia pudding.
I had just made a big batch
of my homemade cashew milk recipe
and I know it would probably go off
before I could finish drinking it all,
so I thought, hmm,
I wonder if I can make a big batch of chia pudding
and freeze it.
But what I was most curious about was,
would the chia pudding thaw properly and retain its texture?
Well, good news, the answer is a resounding yes.
From that poin on, my approach to chia pudding
has been completely transformed
because instead of making individual servings
of chia pudding whenever the craving strikes,
I now make five to 10 servings of chia pudding
and freeze it.
This means that I have up to 10 healthy meals
that will last for weeks in the freezer
and all I have to do is thaw and enjoy.
In today's video I'll show you how to meal prep chia pudding
and give you a variety of topping ideas.
But, similar to all of my other meal prep videos,
I created a downloadable PDF guide
and you can print this out and keep it handy in the kitchen.
To get this guide and any future guides
just make sure that you're signed up on my email list,
and I will leave a link to that
in the description box below.
Oh, one more thing.
If you're not yet signed up for our private Facebook group
with Downshifters around the world, you really should.
We have an amazing community.
And I will leave a link to that
in the description box below as well.
Alright, let me show you how to meal prep some chia pudding.
Before we start making the chia pudding,
we need to get some storage containers.
And my favorite are these glass 1/4-liter Weck jars.
As you'll see they're the perfect size
for one portion of chia pudding and a good amount of fruit,
and they stack perfectly, which maximizes space.
To make the chia pudding, you'll need two ingredients.
Milk and chia seeds.
I'm using my homemade cashew milk
but you can use whichever milk you'd prefer.
And fresh chia seeds are best
to ensure that they gel properly,
but we'll talk more about that in a second.
You can also add optional sweeteners and flavors
to your chia pudding,
but because I have vanilla extract
and a smidge of maple syrup in my cashew milk
I'm not adding anything extra.
So, one portion of chia pudding
is two tablespoons of chia seeds and 1/2 a cup of milk.
I'm divvying up the portions
into each individual storage container,
but you can also multiply the individual quantity
by the number of portions you'd like to make,
stir it all together in one big bowl
and then separate it out.
For instance, if you're making six portions
like I'm doing today,
that's 3/4 cup of chia seeds and three cups of milk.
Whichever approach you take,
when your chia seeds and milk are together,
give them a stir.
Your chia seeds should start to gel almost immediately.
And if after five minutes
they haven't started to thicken and gel,
you likely have bad chia seeds.
Chia seeds can definitely go off after time,
specially if they haven't been stored
in an air-tight container.
If that happens to you, don't toss out your failed pudding.
Just blend it with some fruit and make a smoothie.
Then go buy some new chia seeds and try it again.
After about 15 minutes you'll notice
the chia pudding has really started to thicken.
Give it another stir and then we can add some toppings.
The great thing about meal prepping chia pudding
is that you can use fresh or frozen fruit.
But I know that depending on the season
and where you are in the world,
sometimes frozen fruit is not only easier to find
but it's also cheaper.
So, you can certainly use it in this recipe.
Two of my favorite fruit blends from Whole Foods
are the Berry Blend and the Tropical Fruit Medley,
but I'll show you several other options as well.
If you're using frozen fruit,
it's as simple as pouring some on top of the chia pudding,
or in my case until the container is full,
and then adding the lid.
You can pop this straight into the freezer
where it will stay good for several weeks,
and you are good to go.
(gentle music)
But if you are using fresh fruit, here's a few ideas.
The first is essentially the same as the frozen berry blend
and it's a combination of strawberries,
raspberries and blueberries.
I like to slice the strawberries into bite-sized pieces
so that all of the berries are about the same size.
And in total this is about 1/2 a cup of fresh fruit,
but you can add as much or as little as you'd like.
Next we're gonna create our own tropical blend
and start with mango, which is one of my favorite fruits.
To cut a mango, just slice length-wise
a little off center to avoid the seed
and use a small knife to score the mango in one direction
and then the other.
Use a large spoon to scoop it out
just as you would with avocado,
and you've got all of these lovely little pieces.
To the mango we'll add some fresh pineapple
and I'll just cut that into bite-sized pieces
and lastly I'll add some kiwi fruit.
The easiest way to get the kiwi out
is to slice it in half, use a spoon to scoop it out,
and then dice it up.
And, fun fact if you didn't know,
but kiwis have more vitamin C than oranges.
So, add all of those bits and pieces to your chia pudding
and that version is done.
But because I love mango so much
we'll use the other half for another chia pudding.
So, slice and dice just as you did before.
But when you're left with that funky middle section
don't forget that there's still fruit around the seed.
Remove the skin and try to cut off
as much mango fruit as possible.
Add the mango to the chia pudding
and then for a simple topping
I'll add some shredded coconut.
Mango and coconut are a match made in heaven
and this couldn't be easier.
Next, let's take advantage of stone fruit that is in season.
And you can use nectarines, peaches, plums, apricots,
or whatever you're craving.
I love nectarines so I'll slice one of those up.
But then to give this chia pudding a little kick
I'm adding crystallized ginger.
The ginger adds punch and pairs great with the nectarine.
I should also mention that you can use any dried fruit
in these chia puddings,
so have fun experimenting
with different flavors and textures.
Add the nectarines and crystallized ginger
to an individual serving of chia pudding
and this one is good to go.
If you've made my PB&J chia pudding from my website,
this next one won't surprise you.
It's just a simple blueberry puree
and my homemade almond butter.
On top of the blueberry puree and almond butter
I'll add some fresh blackberries
and then this one is done as well.
Now, up until this point I have focused
on your basic chia pudding recipe
with a variety of fruit toppings,
and these little servings are perfect for breakfast
or a healthy snack throughout the day.
But guess what?
You can do the exact same thing
with my chocolate chia pudding recipe
and make a stash of healthy desserts
that you can freeze and thaw whenever the craving strikes.
We'll start our dessert chia pudding
the same as our basic chia pudding
with two tablespoons of chia seeds and 1/2 a cup of milk.
But because this is dessert,
we're gonna sweeten things up a little.
So I'll also add one tablespoon of cacao powder
for that delicious chocolate flavor
along with one teaspoon of maple syrup
and 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Give it a stir and let it sit for 15 minutes
just as we did before.
Then, once it's started to thicken,
stir it again and add some toppings.
I'm adding a handful of raspberries
and a tablespoon or so of shredded coconut.
So, there's a handful of ideas
for delicious chia pudding meals,
whether that's breakfast, lunch, snack, or dessert.
One thing you'll notice that I haven't added
is nuts and seeds
and that's because they'll go soggy
if we add them at this stage.
I do love adding nuts and seeds
but you wanna add them after the chia pudding has thawed
and right before you're about to enjoy it.
I get asked all of the time
how to add the clasps to the Weck jars.
So, let me show you up close how I do it.
After placing the lid on the container,
I use one thumb
to hold the top portion of the clasp in place
while I pull the lower end down and around.
It's super easy and, believe me,
the more you do it, the more second-nature it becomes.
Once all of your jars are sealed,
you can place them in the fridge or the freezer.
These will last for up to five days in the fridge,
depending on how fresh your fruit was to start with,
or for several weeks in the freezer.
When you want to enjoy one from the freezer,
just take it out the night before
and place it in the fridge to thaw.
Sometimes, if your fridge is really cold,
it may not thaw completely, though.
And if that happens just leave it on the counter
for five to 10 minutes.
If you'd like to add any nuts or seeds,
now is the time to do that,
just as I'm adding chopped pistachios to this one.
Then give it a stir and enjoy.
And this one really does taste like a PB&J sandwich,
albeit a little healthier.
As you can see, there's so many options
when it comes to meal prepping chia pudding,
and I'd love to hear in the comments below
how you would customize yours.
Actually, what'd be even better
is if you took a photo of your meal prep chia pudding
and posted it on Instagram and tagged me
or posted it in our private Facebook group,
that was I can see all of your beautiful creations.
I hope you guys enjoyed today's video.
Don't forget to download the PDF
linked in the description box below.
And if you enjoyed this video
make sure to give it a thumbs up
because that lets me know
that you would like to see more videos
in this meal prep series.
Alright, I will see you guys again in the next video.