Coconut-cinnamon chia seed breakfast pudding

It's getting colder here in NZ these days...so I've been enjoying some nice warm chia seed breakfasts. Chia seed pudding is a great alternative to your regular porridge. Very filling and much easier to digest than oats. This recipe uses cinnamon, but you could use raw cacao powder if you wanted a lush chocolaty breakfast. Top with anything you like; nuts, seeds, fruit, coconut yogurt...easy!

Health benefits of chia seeds:

• Chia seeds compose almost of all the essential nutrients such as protein (high in protein!), omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals that are essential for optimum growth and development.
  
• High in Omega 3
  
• Chia seeds compose several health benefiting anti-oxidants namely ferulic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, etc. 
  
• 100 g seeds provide about 91% of daily recommended intake levels of dietary fiber. The outer coat of chia is made of water-soluble mucilage, a non starch polysaccharide (NSP), which swells up several times and acquires gel-like consistency. Mucilage helps in digestion and smooth bowel movements. 
  
• Chia is a gluten free grain. People with known sensitivity to gluten celiac's disease can safely add it in their diet. 
  
• Low GI 
  
• The seeds are an excellent source of vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, folic acid. Niacin is an important B-complex vitamin found abundantly in chia, nearly more than double the amount in sesame seeds. 100 g of chia provide about 8.83 mg or 55% of daily-required levels of niacin. Niacin helps reduce LDL-cholesterol levels in the blood. In addition, it enhances GABA activity inside the brain, which in turn helps reduce anxiety and neurosis. 
  
• The seeds are good sources of many essential minerals. Calcium, phosporous, iron, manganese, and magnesium are particularly concentrated in chia. 
  

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(Serves two)
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 3/4 cup coconut cream
• 1 cup non-dairy milk (almond, oat, rice, hemp etc)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or other sweetener
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

• In a pot over a low-medium heat, combine all the ingredients. Use a whisk to mix well until the mixture begins to thicken.
• Keep stirring until the mixture is warm - you may need to add some more water if it becomes too thick.
• What you don't eat, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Just reheat when you like :)