Overnight chia seeds
Overnight porridge oats have been a popular breakfast in recent years, but sadly oats are tricky for many women to tolerate in the morning for breakfast.
However, swapping the oats with chia seeds can make for a much better tolerated alternative which is quick and easy to prepare and makes for a sweet and filling alternative.
Nutrient dense chia seeds are low carb, packed with goodness! They are high in fibre, protein, natural fats and antioxidants, making them a great choice for a gestational diabetes breakfast! They will also help your digestive system 😉
Chia seeds soak up liquids, swell and become gelatinous much like tapioca and so the texture is not to everyone’s liking.
This recipe can be played around with to suit your own tastes. Adding vanilla seeds, or a small amount of good quality vanilla extract works well, as does adding coconut flakes or nuts.
Adding fruit or chocolate increases the carb amount and so if doing this opt for lower carb fruits, or very small amounts of fruit and if wanting to make chocolate flavour add 1 tsp cocoa powder (not drinking chocolate).
Ingredients
- 25 grams chia seeds (roughly 2 tbsp)
- 120 ml coconut milk or whole milk
- 1 tbsp coconut cream (optional) or double cream
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 tsp granulated sweetener (more or less to taste)
- 1 tsp nuts, seeds or coconut flakes (optional)
- 6 whole raspberries (optional)
Instructions
- Add chia seeds, sweetener and milk to a jar or bowl (you need to leave some space for the chia seeds to swell)
- Stir really well, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight is best if you can
- First thing in the morning stir *REALLY* well, breaking up any clumps with a spoon and then leave to sit so that the broken up chia seeds fully swell
- Top with berries, seeds, more cinnamon and sweetener to your taste
Notes
Artificial powdered sweeteners such as sucralose (like Splenda) or aspartame (like Canderel) can be used but they may raise blood glucose levels slightly and can leave a bitter aftertaste.
Avoid using honey, maple syrup and things like choc shot as they are too high in natural sugars. Sugar free syrups could be used but they ideally should be zero carb.
For the best outcomes with this recipe it is best to use the ingredients recommended and in the quantities stated.
