Trying a Food Trend: Chia Seed Pudding

I've been hearing about the amazing chia seed for awhile now. It seems they're the latest healthy superfood (think flaxseed five years ago). I'm generally sceptical about the whole idea of superfoods (we need ALL of the foods, right?) since at the bottom of that term is the idea that it's the nutrients that matter and not the food itself - a slippery slope that can lead to substituting real food for food-like products. But, enough ranting for now....

Anyway, I decided to give this food trend a try since it sounded so simple and clean. I went for a chia seed pudding because we're always looking for good breakfast alternatives and because I was pretty sure we'd like it (I've got a long love affair with tapioca pudding). Here's how I made it:

• 1 cup milk (we used vanilla flavored coconut milk)
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Combine all ingredients the night before in a small container. I used one with a lid for easy overnight storage. Whisk occasionally for the first hour to prevent clumping. I left the mixture on the counter while I prepared dinner and gave it a whisk every time I thought of it. Stop whisking after about an hour, put the lid on, and store in the fridge overnight. The next morning, give it a final stir then spoon into serving dishes and top with whatever fruit you have on hand (it was frozen peaches for us, but blueberries would be wonderful as well). 

Possible variations: 

• Use almond milk (I think I'll do this in the future since we generally don't buy coconut milk. Actually this was the first time we tried it and I didn't think it was great). 
• If using unflavored or dairy milk, add 1 tsp of vanilla or almond extract
• Use agave nectar instead of maple syrup

The verdict is that we both enjoyed this and will most likely be keeping chia seeds on hand to make every once in awhile as a breakfast or dessert treat. I doubt we'll have it daily or even weekly since I'm still skeptical about going crazy over any one superfood and would rather keep a variety of things in rotation.

Based on Pastry Affair's recipe for vanilla chia seed pudding.