Chia Seed Pudding! Easy Vegan Breakfast Recipe!
Vegan. Low carb. Could be a breakfast or dessert! Make individuals for the whole week! :)Chia Seed Pudding DIY Vegan Recipe
Vegan, Low Carb and Sweet
Perfect for breakfast, or even a dessert
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I just made Chia Seed Pudding for the first time this week and already know this will be a daily breakfast and dessert for me. Since I don’t like eggs, and I’m vegetarian, my go-to breakfast has been oatmeal for the last 2 years. But, I needed a change, and something that wasn’t too heavy, but where I still felt full.
Ok, so this whole recipe of throwing it together took me about 15 minutes to make.
Ingredients (1 serving):
Chia Seed Pudding:
-Coconut Milk, unsweetened (3/4 Cup)
-Coconut Nectar (1 tbsp) *or maple syrup/fav sweetener
-Chia Seeds (1/8 Cup)
-Vanilla Extract (1 tsp)
Toppings:
-1 Apple
-Cinnamon (not measured)
-Cocoa Nibs (not measured)
Directions:
Add coconut milk into each bowl.
Add chia seeds into each bowl.
Add vanilla extract and coconut nectar. Stir mixture.
Allow the pudding to sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes and stir mixture every few minutes.
Finally, cover each bowl with foil, or a top, and place in refrigerator overnight.
Tip: If the mixture is too liquid-y, you can add more chia seeds to thicken it.
Tip: In the morning, you can put any toppings you want on top your pudding. I chose apples and cinnamon with cacao nibs. However, other ideas are strawberries, blueberries, your favorite fruits, shredded coconut flakes, or granola.
Scroll down for linked products used in this recipe and a gallery!
Chia Seed pudding and morning coffee <3
Healthy lifestyle and wellness tip—>
If you’re wondering what Coconut Nectar is, it is the sap from the flower of a coconut tree. Coconut nectar has a low glycemic index, which means it does not spike your blood sugar compared to agave, or maple syrup, or processed sugar. Coconut nectar has 17 amino acids and a ton of other beneficial minerals in it. I buy mine at Whole Foods, Sprouts or Pavilions. It comes in 2 flavors, Blonde or Amber…I use both! (For this chia seed pudding I used Amber just because that’s what was in my cupboard at the time :) )
Hope you love chia pudding as much as I do!!!
XO XO,
Laura
Packing Light for a Girls Trip! Which Essential Products I Picked!
Packing light with only a carry on is no easy task when you like to bring a separate little luggage just for your wellness and beauty products. BUT—Here is what I chose and why!
Hola
Cabo San Lucas! yesss
For a ladies trip to Cabo San Lucas, a friend and I decided we would pack one carry-on piece of luggage for our 4 night, 5 day trip instead of checking the big bag. Both of us love our products, but we were up to the challenge of fitting our chosen products into a 1-quart-sized-bag for TSA.
I was sitting on my bed with a pile of products the night before my flight with my roommate, where I begrudgingly had to eliminate most products in order to fit into that TSA-1-quart-sized-bag. How could I leave my Hyrdro-Peptide serum behind? or rosewater with hyaluronic acid spritzer? Well, it had to be done, for the sake of traveling light for our girls trip to Mexico!! As we sat on my bed laughing at my pile of product, I picked out my product essentials. The chosen ones had to go in little plastic bottles.
Here’s what I chose to bring!
Products I picked!
*Scroll down to the bottom of the post to purchase products I mentioned
1. Face Wash. Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask with benzoyl peroxide. I’ve used this face wash since high school and it does its job by keeping my skin clear. It’s super easy to restock with, and I believe spending more on serums, etc. is more beneficial than a face wash that washes off in a few seconds.
2. Eye Makeup Remover. Beauty 360 Gentle Eye Makeup Remover (CVS brand). Again, nothing fancy, but it does its job of taking off my eye makeup. I picked this up at CVS when I was heading to the premier of Fifty Shades Darker. I worked at the Sisley Paris “Which Shade are You?” lipstick booth. This eye make-up remover did its job of removing all lipstick shades efficiently off everyone’s hands and mine, so who could ask for more?
3. Shampoo. Enjoy Professional Hair Care Sulfate-Free Luxury Shampoo. I love this shampoo because it keeps the integrity of my blonde highlights and it’s sulfate free. Even though, depending on the hotel, they may have shampoo that is sulfate free and suitable for color treated hair, I didn’t want to risk it!
4. Conditioner. Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Conditioner sulfate free. My hair is very fine and color treated, so with the right conditioner I can leave my hair de-tangler spray. This conditioner brings my hair volume and makes it easier to brush out when wet–yay, two products in one!
5. Retinol. Tretinoin. Prescription only. This is a strong retinol cream that I apply every other night. This is an essential to me since retinol is one of the few proven anti-aging ingredients in today’s current world. I started using retinol when I was 18 or 19. Also, I would never attempt to take Tretinoin and put it in a smaller tube. (Thankfully the tube is under 3.4 ounce anyway). The packaging of Tretinoin keeps the active ingredients safe, so this product should never be removed from its packaging.
6. Night Under-Eye Treatment. Replenix All-Trans-Retinol Eye Repair Cream. This is another product I’ve been ordering for years. It has 90% green tea polyphenols to neutralize free radicals, retinol, vitamin K and vitamin E. This product’s retinol can also be seen by the color of the product (retinol is a yellowish color in its true form and green tea is a brownish/green). Again, I would never separate the formula from this packaging since it keeps these ingredients stable inside. Luckily, this eye cream is 0.5 ounces.
7. Oil and Blemish Control. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. I chose to bring this product because during these summer months with the combination of sweat, sunscreen, and how active I am, I’ve found that an oil absorption and blemish control underneath sunscreen helps my skin stay clear. This product uses Zinc (great for oily skin), Sulfur (great for oil absorption) and Salicylic Acid (great for blemishes). A little goes a long way, as it does dry slightly pink.
8. Mascara. Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils-Luxurious Mascara in Purple 4. I will normally only wear this mascara for eye make-up. I’m in love with this deep purple hue, it’s fun and makes eye color pop even more.
9. A wide brim hat. A must. Tans are beautiful, but smooth skin for years to come is even more beautiful! Protect your gorgeous skin! No TSA questioning necessary.
10. Blush, bronzer and pressed powders do not need to pass for TSA inspection!
11. Sunscreen…I decided to buy sunscreen at the hotel market. I use so much sunscreen and especially during a vacation out in the sun, pool and ocean, that 3.4 ounces would not cut it, and a full new bottle just for the trip would work!
Ladies in white in Mexico
oooh…this pool…
1. Digestive Enzymes. I was recommended by a nutritionist in Los Angeles to take 2 enzymes before every meal. Although I don’t follow that all the time I will definitely take 2 before dinner when it’s mixing all sorts of tasting things and drinks.
2. Vitamin B-12. I follow a mostly vegan diet and so gotta have that B-12!
3. Maxi Hair Plus. You can order these on Amazon, or get them at Sprouts. I take this every morning with breakfast, it’s recommended to take another at dinner. My hair stylist Anush told me to take these and my fine hair has finally been growing!
4. Nuun Tablets. Electrolyte tablets you can stick into your water. I love love love these! You can buy these at Whole Foods, Sprouts or (of course) Amazon!
Wellness Lifestyle DIY Tip—>
You can wrap supplements in little tin foil pouches <3 Easy to throw in your purse!
Water
It’s so important to drink a lot of water every day, but especially while traveling. I used to drink diet coke or other sparkling drinks on the plane and now refrain and only drink water. A habit that was very hard to break, but am so glad I did. Try it next time you travel. Just drink water the whole travel day, and lots of it, and see how you feel.
Wellness Lifestyle DIY Tip–>
If you are staying at a hotel you could buy the biggest sized water bottle and re-fill it at the hotel gym. Hotel gyms (most) always have complimentary water. I drink two of those a day.
Travel-Friendly Work Out/Wellness Gear
1. Stretch Strap. (the pink strap) I ordered this off Amazon. This long pink rope is a life saver for me while traveling. I am a person that is constantly moving, and I especially like to walk and check out the city all day.
You can put your foot in the padded part and stretch your legs or arms any way you like. There are tons of Youtube videos on this, for now I’ll give you an idea with a little chart. It feels amazing and gets your lymphatic flow going and your body feeling all stretched out and relaxed!
2. Resistance Loop Band. I also ordered this off Amazon. This is great to travel with and barely takes any space. There are many types of toning exercises you can do with this in your hotel room. Again, there are so many Youtube videos and charts to follow and choose from. Here is one of my favorite positions!
What are your must have products when you travel light???
XO
Laura
