My skin is not a happy camper lately.
I don’t know what’s up, but I know it’s ticked off. Angry. Inflamed. What’s the problem? That, my friends, is anyone’s guess. When a girl has puffy, itchy eyes and rashes on her face, it’s time to slow down and pay attention. If you’ve ever been the detective for your own strange skin reactions, you know just how daunting this process can be. Everything is questioned.
Not surprisingly, my family doctor suggested an allergy elimination diet and to examine my environment for possible culprits. I’ve switched our detergents, soaps, shampoos, and I’ve retired make-up for the time being. That was the easy part. The elimination diet and food journaling, on the other hand, are proving to be rather difficult as a recipe developer. It’s my worst nightmare actually.
Of course, skin flare ups could be from a billion things, including stress. I’m a big fan of stress-relieving practices, but I’m not so good at carrying them out in my own life. When life gets crazy and deadlines are looming, I often left my own health slide in the process. I know I’ve said it a million and one times, but I need to work on this.
As I’m leaving my doctor’s office she says, “Above all, DO NOT stress about the rashes. Stress is the absolute worst thing for your skin.”
[Is it just me or do you get more stressed out when someone tells you not to stress? ahh]
She’s so right though. I need to take a chill pill.
Of course, breakfast is a natural way to start the day on the right foot. I’m a big fan of breakfasts that can be made in advance, such as Green Monsters (just give them a good stir in the morning), raw buckwheat porridge, vegan overnight oats, and this chia pudding. Even though they take just a few minutes to throw together before bed, I’d fallen out of the habit of prepping them. But man oh man, it makes such a difference to wake up to a nutritious breakfast ready to be enjoyed!
The recipe below makes 2 servings so you can share it with a loved one or wrap up the leftovers for your next craving, which if you are like me won’t be far off.
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Chia Seed Breakfast Bowl
Yield
Serves 2
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
I like mashed banana in this because it thickens the mixture while adding a lot of volume. If you aren’t a banana fan, you can omit it, but you might need to reduce the milk and I also suggest adding in your own sweetener or other fruit in its place. This porridge is especially creamy when made with Homemade Almond Milk. The thickness of the chia pudding will vary based on the kind of almond milk you use, so you can add more if necessary. If your pudding is too thin for you liking you can add more chia seeds and let it sit for 10 more minutes. Finally, if you aren’t a fan of the tapioca-like texture of chia seed pudding, try blending it until smooth.
Ingredients
Chia mixture
- 4 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 – 1.25 cups almond milk (it’s great made with Homemade Almond Milk)
- 2 small bananas, chopped small
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- two pinches of cinnamon
Toppings
- 2 tbsp raw buckwheat groats, soaked
- 2 tbsp raisins, soaked
- 2 tbsp whole raw almonds, chopped and soaked
- couples pinches of cinnamon
- 2 tbsp hemp seed
Directions
- Mash bananas in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in chia seeds. Whisk in the almond milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until combined. Place in fridge overnight to thicken. You can add more almond milk if you want to thin it out in the morning. Or, if it’s too thin, add more chia seeds to thicken it up.
- Add buckwheat groats, raisins, and chopped almonds into another bowl. Cover in water and soak overnight in the fridge or on the counter.
- In the morning, place your desired amount of chia pudding into a bowl. (Note: at this point, you can blend your chia pudding if a smooth texture is desired, but I don’t bother). Drain and rinse the buckwheat/almond/raisin mixture. Sprinkle on top of chia mixture along with a pinch of cinnamon and a tablespoon of hemp seeds. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired. Store leftovers in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Have you ever dealt with a strange skin reaction or allergy? What did you do?
This looks so good! I bookmarked it on my laptop to try this week:) I just got into eating chia seeds, they freak me out a little bit since they look like mini reptile eggs. But so far they have been tasteless in all of my meals!
Yes I have had awful skin rashes and breakouts, and it took me my whole life to figure out that I am highly intolerant to dairy. But there are countless things it could be for you , I have learned not to look up my symptoms on the internet because with most cases, I should have already been dead ha-ha.
I hope someone helps you figure this out! All I can think of is an allergy/intolerance to something you may have been eating. Have you ever gotten allergy tests before?
This is absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to eat it again. It is super easy to make and definitely worth the before bed prep.
Could you freeze this, in small batches? Without harming the consistency, I mean. I am switching to the blood type diet for O type (kind of like the paleo diet) and this was a recommended recipe. I like to cook ahead of time so I dont have to think about it, and Ive always froze things.
Hi Meghan, Im sorry I don’t know – let me know if you try it out!
This was my first try at one of your recipes, Angela, and it’s a good one and oh so easy. I had concocted my own version of this but had not thought of the grouts. I tried it for breakfast this morning and really enjoyed it. Easy to switch out dried fruit and other nuts for an equally good taste.
I’m actually having skin rashes and hives on my face, tongue and legs BECAUSE of chia seeds. Just thought I would let you know that the chia seeds may be the culprit of your skin problems, too!
Easy to find out! Kinesiology- Muscle Test! Your body will tell you everything you need to know through cellular memory. You are a Divine Being. All the answers lay within you. Whilst your doctor only guesses! :>)
Your body through M-Testing will tell you what is causing skin probs or any other problem you may have. It will through M-Testing tell you also for example what you should be having n not having and how many times a week. For .E.G Your muscle may lock up for a yes to fish.. Then test which fish. Then test how many times a week is neutral without causing any inflammation , then how many times a week for ultimate health. Fish has only been used as a E.G. I have helped a lot of people through Muscle Testing. No more guessing ! Just fact from the one whom knows best ~*You*~ the Divine Miraculous You ARE and have always been.
Also barley powder made up to a paste is awesome for irritated, red flared up skin. It cleanse, rejuvenates and Alkaline s it! Bright n glowing!
Wishing Abundance of Health Happiness and complete Joy :>)
Sunny.
P.S~ Seen a lot of difference sticking to your Blood types too. Just because something maybe healthy like banana, mango, tomatoe, egg plant, oranges etc.. Does not mean it is in alignment with your Blood type make up. For EG Blood type A’s have ultimate health when these mentioned foods are withdrawn. As they act as a inflammation rather then giving health. yet other blood types can thrive off them. Check your blood type and check the list for your diet. Overall the best indicator is Your muscle being tested for what is RIght FOR ~*YOU*~ . We are all different period. With diff constitutions. :>)
Hi there,
Wonderful blog, recipes, stories… Love the nourishing, healthy, tasty theme.
I recommend milk thistle (and other liver herbs) for helping the skin, as well as good ferments for the gut.
I’m totally having this for breakfast tomorrow :D
Yum. I made this last night for breakfast today and felt like I was treating myself. It was so good. The only thing that confuses me is the nutritional info. My sources tell me chia seeds have 8 gms of fat in one ounce/2 tbsps, bananas have 0.4 gms of fat, and a cup of almond milk is 3 gms. So the total fat grams in one serving should be max 12 gms not 19 as your info states? Did I calculate something wrong? Thanks.
Hi there, I think mine is higher because I included the toppings in the nutritional info. Hope this helps!
Oh duh…of course. Got it, makes sense. Thanks.
hi
how do u stop bananas from going black when they are mashed up in advance?? My pudding just looked black in the morning…yak…
Hey Angela,
I stumbled across ur blog while looking for Chia seed benefit & recipes. Thanks for all the information. I still haven’t tried it and since u’ve written the entry almost a year ago, you must be using Chia seeds regularly in your diet. Have you noticed any difference in your energy levels, weight?
Since it isn’t easy get these in India, I would really like to know the benefits from someone who has already used it before I start investing in them. Looking forward to your reply.
Thanks & loved ur other recipes as well! Subscribed ur blog on Feedly.
Deeksha
Hi! I’m going to prepare this dish for breakfast tomorrow and can’t wait to taste it! Could you please clarify the purpose of soaking raisins and chopped almonds? That is new to me and I’m curious to learn about the reason/benefit. Thanks in advance!
I’ve been looking for alternative breakfasts that are tasty and filling and this one is awesome. The drizzle of maple syrup sealed the deal. Every day I look to make better choices and my breakfasts are now a better choice. Thanks for a great recipe!
This was..okay. The flavor was decent but it looks horrible. Mine didn’t come out like the photo–it turned into a medium grey-brown color that scared everyone I showed it too. I probably won’t make this again.
I was wondering about the banana darkening overnight – could it be added before serving for a better presentation?
I love all the recipes with chia seeds. I have developed an intolerance for bananas. What you recommend as an alternative to mix with chia seeds?
I have have fairly severe adult acne, and constantly have allergic skin reactions. I’ve been the heaty medication route, and it was one of my biggest regrets. Right now, Im using seabuckthorn seed oil once a day on my face (just a few drops of the oil, not a cream made with it), and now have next to no acne. Wish I had known about it 10 years ago.
Hi! I have had a very strange reaction and it was an auto-immune response to an over worked gut. I had leaky gut. At thus point in time I was eating gluten-free and vegan. I searched out help by doctors and specialists and no luck. I had allergy tests, still nothing. Than I finally webt to see a naturopath and she tested me with their food sensitivity screening. To my dismay, my doctor recommended me following a strict GAPS diet. I did this for a year, had a lot of cleansing of my gut and I have been free from joy strange skin reaction!
Thank-you, so much for posting this!!
I’m on an elimination diet at the moment as well and I’m seriously struggling.
Having delish fodmap friendly recipes like this pop up in my feed really helps :)
Thanks again
Nicole
I can’t tell you how much I love this recipe! I had tried a different chia seed pudding recipe last year and it was horrible. On a whim, since I love your other recipes, decided to try this one since it had the addition of mashed banana. It’s totally changed my view on “chia seed pudding”! I love it. This morning, I added a spoonful of pumpkin, chopped pecans, and cinnamon on top and it was delicious! thank you!!