Spirulina Chia Pudding

What the heck is spirulina?  You may be asking yourself this very question right now.  Don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard of it before because I didn’t know much about it until about 5 years ago.  Ever since I learned about it I have been experimenting here and there with adding it into my diet, mostly by adding some into a smoothie.  Using it on a regular basis isn’t necessary but I often find myself adding it to recipes when I feel like a need a boost of nutrition.  Chia pudding has been my jam lately so I naturally started adding some spirulina powder into the mix to bump up the nutrient content.  I was surprised to discover that out of all the different ingredients I was adding to my chia pudding concoctions that spirulina was my absolute favorite combination.

Spirulina has been consumed by many cultures around the world for centuries since it grows bodies of water all around the globe.  Spanish conquistadors observed that flamingos were able to survive by eating this blue-green algae and eventually people started to commercialize it for the health benefits.

Nutritional Benefits of Spirulina

This beautiful blue-green powder contains complete protein, healthy fat, vitamins A, K, and E, most B vitamins (not B12 since it is predominantly pseudovitamin B₁₂, which is biologically inactive in humans) antioxidants, chlorophyll, copper, iron, magnesium, and potassium.  Even NASA knew it was powerful and used spirulina as a dietary supplement for space mission astronauts.

Some reported health benefits include supporting a healthy blood lipid profile, healthy blood pressure and weight, anticancer, improved memory function, and support the liver in eliminating toxins like lead.  It is worth noting that some of the studies reported dosages of 2-3 teaspoons, which for spirulina can be a lot to take and get costly.  Even with just taking 1/2-1 teaspoon in with my chia pudding still provides some great real food source of  nutrients.  This chlorophyll rich food can help deodorize the body which might be of real benefit when you use natural deodorant and notice more odor.

Quality is key when picking out a spirulina supplement.  It is best to see if they have had 3rd party testing to ensure low levels of heavy metals and bacterial contamination.  Unfortunately just because a brand is organic doesn’t mean it is safe.  Nutritionist Julie Daniluk recommends making sure levels are below these numbers: lead < 0.2 ppm, mercury < 0.025 ppm, cadmium < 0.2 ppm, arsenic < 0.5 ppm.  Always be a good consumer.  As with everything, even food, quality is key.

A few notes regarding my spirulina chia pudding recipe:

| My chia pudding is on the little thinner side, that is how I like it, but if you like thicker pudding I would recommend adding another 1/2-1 tablespoon to the single serving.

| Canned coconut milk is my favorite since I can get brands with minimal ingredients to make my own coconut milk by mixing one can with 3 cups of water and use that for my milk source.

| Adding Brazil nuts boosts the nutrition even more because just 1-2 nuts can provide your daily serving for selenium which is great for supporting the thyroid.

| Make this a more complete meal and control your blood sugar by adding protein powder and collagen peptides has been my favorite lately.  The collagen has been great for my skin.  Feel free to use what brand you like to use or just leave out the protein all together.

| Use the 1 serving recipe or the 5 servings recipe to make enough to last all week long.

Print

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 1

Author Sara

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut milk any milk you like
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1/2-1 teaspoon spirulina powder
• 1 teaspoon raw honey or pure maple syrup sweeten to taste
• 2 scoops protein powder I like Vital Collagen Peptides
• 2 brazil nuts great source of selenium
• Optional Toppings:
• Fresh or frozen fruit
• Shredded Coconut
• Chopped Nuts or Seeds macadamia nuts are my favorite
• Coconut Macaroon Granola
• Homemade Granola
• Snack Clusters

Instructions

1. Put all of the chia pudding ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour into a 16 ounce jar, cover, and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set. I make mine the night before and before I head out the door add my toppings and take the jar with me.

Print

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 5

Author Sara

Ingredients

• 5 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 2 1/2 teaspoons spirulina powder
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons raw honey or pure maple syrup
• 10 brazil nuts
• 10 scoops protein powder like collagen peptides
• Optional Toppings:
• Fresh or frozen fruit
• Shredded Coconut
• Chopped Nuts or Seeds macadamia nuts are my favorite
• Coconut Macaroon Granola
• Homemade Granola
• Snack Clusters

Instructions

1. Put all of the chia pudding ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Divide the mixture into 5-16 ounce jars, cover, and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set.
3. Top with whatever you like.
4. Enjoy the pudding within one week.