Yes, it’s true – I’m obsessed with chia seeds.
For the past week or so, the obsession has been on overdrive. Breakfast everyday was in the form of chia pudding.
And ya know, I loved every moment. It ranks as a recent food obsession.
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the chia seed, yes it is actually the edible seed off the well known plant, the “Chia Pet.”
Pumpkin Peanut Tempeh Salad with Peas and Edamame
Mango. Oh gosh, just let me eat my body weight in mangoes.
Superfood, superfruit oats.
Mango and avocado veggie wrap. Delish!
Sweet and savory.
Savory and fresh.
Sweet, savory, and crunchy!
If you know me at all, you probably know about my slight obsession with chia seeds.
Not only to they add the perfect texture/crunch to anything, but they pack in a ton of nutrition benefits. Per serving, chia seeds pack in 60% of Omega 3’s. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, research has shown that consumption of chia seeds may be beneficial in reducing the risk for cardiovascular diseases – these little seeds are jam packed with vitamins and minerals!
But really, I put chias on everything.
Oatmeal? Gotta get in some chia action.
So when Jesse over at The Epic Seed sent me a few of their products to try, my chia radar obviously buzzes off the charts.
Ready for this greek yogurt-y, chia seed-y, creamy, delicious-y creation?
You know my love for greek yogurt by now, so the combination of chia seeds and greek yogurt couldn’t sound any more perfect to me. The products over at the Epic Seed is basically a greek yogurt infused with chia seeds and a touch of fruit. I love that it is made with wholesome ingredients I can understand and pronounce [i.e. chia seeds, fruit, and yogurt – all you need in life] and each serving contains 17 grams of protein and 850mg of Omega-3 fatty acids. A true nutrition powerhouse combination! Seriously though, every health nut’s dream.
If you have ever had chia pudding before, this sort of reminds of that. Only creamier – from the yogurt, which I much prefer. And then there’s an addition of fruit, which adds exactly the right amount of sweetness.
Currently, here are flavors available:
Here’s a breakdown of the nutritional facts, based off The Epic Seed’s website:
Strawberry Flavor
Calories: 150
Fat: 1 gram
Carbohydrates: 17 grams
Protein: 17 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Omega-3 = 850mg
Omega-6= 310 mg
Ingredients:
Strained yogurt – Pasteurized Skim Milk, Live Active Cultures (L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus, S. Acidophilus, B. Lactis) Fruit and Chia base: Hydrated Chia (Water, Chia seeds), Strawberries, Pure Cane Sugar, Natural Flavors, Purple Carrot Extract, Citric Acid.
Maple Peanut Butter Banana Strawberry Chia Protein Muffins
Ingredients:
3/4 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup flaxseed
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 large ripe mashed bananas
1/2 cup maple peanut butter (or peanut butter + 2tbsp maple syrup)
2 tbsp honey ( or agave/maple syrup)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp butter extract
1 container of Strawberry Chia greek yogurt via The Epic Seed [ or 1/2 cup strawberry greek yogurt + 3 tbsp chia seeds]
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375F.
Combine spelt, oats, flaxseed, baking powder/soda, cinnamon together. In a separate bowl, mix bananas, peanut butter, honey, egg, extracts, and yogurt.
Mix dry ingredients into wet. Spray muffin tins and add batter.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes about 12-15 muffins.
Note: may cause your kitchen to smell extremely good.
If you know me even a little bit at all, you know I am FOREVER snacking. Like, that girl in class with the loud wrappers and fragrant tupperware kind of snacker.
No shame, whatsoever. A girl’s gotta eat!
You already know my love for the original KIND bars, so when I saw these granola based KIND bars the other week at the grocery store, I couldn’t help but pick them up.
KIND’s Oats & Honey Grain Based Bar
Here’s a comparison of the ingredient list:
(based off KIND’s website)
KIND Original Fruit and Nut Delight:Mixed nuts (peanuts, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts), honey, dried fruit (sultanas, dates, raisins), non GMO glucose, crisp rice, apricots, apple juice, vegetable glycerine, flax seeds, soy lecithin, chicory root fiber, citrus pectin, natural apricot flavor.
KIND Healthy Grains: Oats and Honey with Toasted Coconut:
Whole grains (gluten free oats, brown rice, millet, gluten free oat flour, buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa), evaporated cane juice, coconut, honey, canola oil, chicory root fiber, sesame seeds, molasses, sea salt, natural vitamin E.
Here’s a comparison of the nutrition facts of 1 bar:
Original Fruit and Nut Bar
Calories: 200
Fat: 13
Carbohydrates: 17
Protein: 6
Sugar: 9
Oats and Honey with Toasted Coconut:
Calories: 150
Fat: 4
Carbohydrates: 25
Protein: 3
Sugar: 7
I have to say, I was fairly impressed because I’m not usually one to go for a granola based bar (I get hungrier after eating them – I prefer higher protein bars) but these are great for when you need an little extra energy boost.
Texture-wise, I found these to be pretty good – a little on the chewy side and not so much crunchy. Loved the coconut touch on the Honey Oat flavor. I think I would keep these in my rotation of bars, for days when I’m in the mood for something lighter.
My current top picks are the Honey and Oat with toasted coconut (I’m a sucker for anything coconut) and the Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate (well, because the whole peanut + chocolate combo is king.)
My current favorite Original KIND bar flavors
Alright, confessions from this coconut crazed lady time. You know those completely addicting Snakaroons? Or Coco-roons? The kind with coconut and stuff? Though they are INCREDIBLY tasty [ let’s face it – no one can turn down macaroons] , it is currently classified in my mind under the list of things that are toooo good. By that I mean good for my soul, bad for my wallet [ College kid problems. Or rather, college senior that is about to graduate soon problems.]
So in celebration for my love of coconut, macaroons, and not wanting to pour my wallet’s contents towards these delicious treats, I decided to whip some up of my own. And I dipped them in peanut butter. You’re welcome.
Peanut Butter Dipped Coconut “Macaroons”
1.5 cups unsweetened coconut shreds
2 tbsp oat flour
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg whites
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1.5 tbsp maple syrup (or agave/ honey/ choice of liquid sweetener)
Extra garnish:
Cacao nibs (optional)
Peanut Butter dip – (2 options):
Option 1:
4 tbsp of peanut butter of choice, melted + 1 tsp vanilla extract
Option 2:
1/4 cup peanut flour
10 drops liquid stevia
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325F.
Mix coconut, oat flour, vanilla extract, egg whites, and applesauce together. Form dough and roll into a ball or macaroon shape. Makes around 12 – 13 macaroons.
Spray a baking sheet [I used coconut oil] and baked macaroons for for 23-25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow for macaroon to cool completely.
For PB option 1, simply melt peanut butter and dip macaroons in before serving. Sprinkle with cacao nibs for extra texture!
For PB option 2:
Melt coconut oil and combine together with peanut flour, vanilla extract, and stevia. Dip macaroons into the “sauce” and allow to set before serving. Sprinkle with cacao nibs for extra texture!
More veggies, more problems.
Said no one ever, actually.
Growing up, I was never the type of child to refuse my veggies – I LOVED them. Every kind of vegetable my parents fed me, I swallowed whole-heartedly. I ate my greens like no other toddler on the block.
And well, some things never change. I still don’t know of any other toddler (or 21 year old) eating greens like the champ I am. [Thanks, Mom. You raised a good kid!]
I’m a big fan of oats for breakfast, and being a creature of habit, I don’t plan to change that anytime soon. But lately, I’ve been craving a lot more veggies than usual, which I never thought could be possible. So naturally, I wanted to incorporate some into my favorite meal of the day. It was like a choir of angels singing when I opened up my fridge the other morning and saw my zucchinis staring back at me, cause right then and there I knew it was going to be the week of the ZOATS.
Zoats = oats + zucchini.
If you haven’t heard of zoats before, the idea is basically to add more volume to your oats to stretch them a bit further with the addition of grated zucchini – your oats puff up like no other! And you’re getting an extra dose of greens, which is win-win situation in my book!
My original inspiration for zoats is from Amanda Clark herself over at her blog, Clark/Pharm. And that was a little over a year ago. Since then, I’ve whipped a tons of variations for myself – with other veggies as well. This week I tackled not only zoats, but oats with carrot shreds, and spinach.
I know, you’re probably thinking, spinach, in your oats? You’re one crazy lady.
And that I am – but take my word this time because this one is actually genius. I adapted the original recipe from Angela over at OhSheGlows – her Green Monster Overnight Oats. It’s basically like a green smoothie + oats, which is the best of both worlds. I may be bias because I love smoothies and oats, but oh my goodness, this was a good one.
There are several variations of zoats, carrot oats, and green overnight oats, but here are three variations I did this week:
Vanilla Coconut Zoats
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup egg whites
1/4 cup oats
1 small-medium zucchini, [grated, chopped, or whichever way you prefer]
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 pack stevia
Combine 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup egg on medium heat on stovetop. After the mixture comes to a boil, add in oats, zucchini, stevia, and extracts and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until desired texture is reached. Serve immediately.
Vanilla Caramel Carrot Chia Protein Oats
1/3 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp chia seeds
1 pack stevia (optional)
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice
1/2 tsp each of vanilla, caramel, and butter extracts
1/3 cup egg whites
Combine all ingredients into a jar or bowl and mix well. Store in fridge overnight for for at least 3-4 hours. In the morning, add in 1/3 cup egg whites and pop in microwave for 2:30 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure the eggs are throughly mixed in. Great by itself or with fruit for extra vitamins!
Green Smoothie Overnight Oats
Original Recipe adapted from OhSheGlows
1 cup almond milk
2 tbsp Vega Vanilla Chai Protein Powder
1 large ripe banana
1 tsp chia seeds
Handful of spinach
1 tsp pysllium husk (optional, added for thickness)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum (optional, added for thickness)
1/3 cup oats
Blend together everything but the oats in a high speed blender or food processor. If adding xanthan gum, blend together everything on the list before blending in the xanthan. Pour over the oats and mix well. Store in fridge overnight and eat cold in the morning.
