Spooky Green Chia Pudding (with a Wheatgrass boost!)

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It’s an appropriately gusty and rainy night for a spooky, Halloween-themed post; if you’re anyplace along the East Coast, I hope you’re staying safe and warm tonight. Classes are cancelled for two days, even though so far it hasn’t been too terrible near me in DC, so I enjoyed the chance to catch up on my studies today. And make some chia pudding.

When I first got into raw foods, I had never tried wheatgrass. A little reading suggested to me that wheatgrass juice was the holy grail of healthy elixirs, so I immediately set about trying it for myself. Unfortunately, I gagged on my first shot, and have had the same reaction to nearly every shot of wheatgrass I’ve had since. There’s something about the sweetness and the smell that just turns my stomach, no matter how much I want to like it.

I once read that, if wheatgrass tastes terrible to you, it’s a sign that you’re “toxic;” I doubt that, but I do think that a wheatgrass aversion keeps you from enjoying something that’s rich in phytonutrients, Vitamin E, and amino acids. So what’s a gal to do if she just doesn’t love the taste? My latest solution is wheatgrass powder from Navitas Naturals. My friends at Navitas sent me some of the powder to sample recently, and I was delighted when I found it perfectly palatable—sweet, but without the grassy taste! The product is expensive, but a serving size is only 1/2 teaspoon, and there are 28 servings per package; this is quite a bit less than paying for fresh wheatgrass, shot by shot.

So far I’ve been enjoying the powder in my smoothies, but today I was in the mood for something a little different. Recently, a friend of mine went to a Halloween themed vegan potluck and brought chia pudding because it’s a little “spooky” to start with—gooey, slippery, and slimy. I had this in mind when I set about making a green chia pudding, which is that much spookier for being the same shade of green you might find in face paint for a witch’s costume!

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Spooky, maybe, but also rich in phytonutrients, protein, and calcium. That’s a spooky and a healthy Halloween treat.

Spooky Green Chia Seed Pudding (raw, vegan, gluten free, soy free)

Serves 2-4

2 cups almond milk
2 pitted dates
1 1/2 tsp wheatgrass powder (substitute any favorite freeze dried green powder, or spirulina!)
3 tbsp hemp protein powder
6 tbsp chia seeds

1. Blend the milk, dates, and powders together in a blender till smooth. Add the chia seeds and, with the blender on a low setting (2-3 on a VitaMix), incorporate them well. This is a trick I learned from my friend (and CR regular) Elizabeth; it turns making chia pudding into quite an easy, one step process!

2. Transfer pudding to a container, and wait for seeds to plump up. Stir on occasion, and add a little more almond milk if it gets overly thick. Serve!

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This is a very simple pudding, but you can certainly add some cinnamon or any other flavor you like to it. I’ve enjoyed it with a sprinkle of cacao nibs and with goji berries—the latter was particularly tasty!

This is a nice, easy snack or breakfast option for Halloween week. I hope you enjoy it, and that it inspires you to check out wheatgrass powder or another green mixture you like. Naturally, if you wanted to make this recipe with fresh wheatgrass shots, I’d say more power to you. And better you than me.

How do you all feel about wheatgrass? And do you have any special, seasonal chia puddings you’ve been experimenting with?

xo

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Categories: Snacks
Dietary Preferences: Raw, Soy Free, Vegan

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    12 Comments
  1. Bravo kopela mou!

    It’s so nice to meet another Greek vegan!

    I thought i was alone in my alone in Greek vegan pursuits….Keep up the fantastic work!

    You’re an inspiration..

  2. I had made myself believe that I didn’t like wheatgrass juice, but when I actually tried it, I liked it! It reminds me of watermelon rind more than grass. I occasionally buy the frozen shots when the budget permits! I like making chia pudding with chocolate hemp powder, cinnamon, and almond milk. Simple, and a perfect way to satisfy a chocolate craving!

  3. Hmmmm, I actually enjoy the taste of fresh wheat grass, but it gives me bad acid reflux. Sprouts in general do that to me. Raw Foodists look at me like I’m crazy because sprouts and wheat grass are supposed to be alkalizing, but the yogis nod their heads saying it is my Pitta dosha. So who knows why, but wheat grass and my tummy do not get on well.

    I’ve been playing around with Vegan Overnight Oats heavy on the chia, so it’s like chia pudding oats. Nothing crazy creative though, cinnamon, ginger, banana, almond butter.

  4. Great post Gena! I am a big fan of your chia seed puddings – I will definitely have to try this one out! Keep up the good work!

  5. It’s most definitely a toss up between wheatgrass and spirulina in regards to taste; I do think that certain brands are better though. I bought spirulina from Hawaii on our trip a few weeks ago and I swear I can handle the taste much better than what I’ve bought here. I’ll have to give Navitas a try once I’ve run out of my current stash.

    I am obsessed with chia pudding these days, regardless of the weather. Current favorites are carob, and gingerbread… can’t wait to give this version a try 🙂

  6. This looks wonderful, love the color! 🙂 I haven’t tried a lot of wheat grass yet, but want too. I like Vitamineral Green powder in my smoothies. I have an apple cinnamon chia seed pudding recipe I never get tired of for fall.

  7. I used to get wheatgrass shots at jamba every now and then, but they did often make me gag. Not so pleasant. Miraculously, my wife has learned to stomach them, and she gets them often since she is averse to most veggies. I think it’s a great way to pack in some of those green nutrients if you have a hard time doing so otherwise. If you chase it immediately with a mouthful of fruit smoothie it’s completely doable.

  8. Thanks for the tips on getting the pudding to blend well! I’ve always had difficulty getting the chia seeds to incorporate well into chia puddings. Glad to hear that the storm isn’t too bad for you!

  9. Hmm I might give this a shot (no pun intended). I recently had wheatgrass for the first time (raw in smoothie, not a shot) and it is definitly “grassy”. I am with you that it has turned me off from having it more often even though I know it has amazing benefits. I will keep an eye for this now, thx!