Start your day off right with greens - in chia pudding form! You won’t taste the spinach, and you will be happy you prepped this power breakfast the night before.
I’m writing this to you from the plane, and I am surrounded by a symphony of coughers. My personal solution to this is WINE, or potentially take a bath in hand sanitizer. I travel for work every week, sometimes taking anywhere from 2-4 flights, and I’ll be honest with ya, sometimes it’s glamorous and fun, and sometimes you may or may not have just contracted bird flu. Sigh. On the days that I travel, I try and take extra good care of my body because the flying really takes a toll - I eat really healthy, make sure to stay hydrated, and always getting in a ballistic or cardio workout so my joints get a lot of movement in before sitting on a plane for several hours. And I always look forward returning home to the DCC kitchen where I can whip up healthy, easy, and unique breakfasts like this one!
I don’t know about you, but I think that raw spinach is a serious superfood. It has such a mild (read: next to nothing) flavor when it isn’t cooked - you don’t notice it in smoothies or even tucked into sandwiches. I certainly notice it’s flavor a lot more when it is cooked (which I love as well). So I thought I would experiment with blending it into plain almond milk, and then using that to make chia breakfast pudding. And voila! Here’s another awesome way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet, starting right at breakfast! I love to get in greens at breakfast - in accordance with my “What Do All Diets Have in Common?” post. Yikes! I almost just knocked over my wine. We’re getting all Dierks Bentley “Drunk on a Plane” over here.
I am definitely going to be one of those moms who try and sneak in vegetables into their kid’s foods without them noticing (“you sneaky sneaky mom!!”). I’ll probably make them green smoothies and put them in opaque containers, or whip up a batch of these Extra Fudgy Paleo Zucchini Brownies, because I certainly like how I can experiment with adding more vegetables into my diet, and even making them in accordance with my raging sweet tooth. I didn’t add any sugar to the chia pudding, but instead topping it off with fruit and oats for flavor, texture, and bulk/nutrition. However, you could certainly add in a tablespoon of maple syrup or a packet of stevia if you’d prefer a little extra sweetness. Hey, you’re getting your greens in before 9am - go crazy!
Ah, there goes the crying baby. I actually don’t mind crying babies on the plane - I find it kind of amusing and I honestly feel worse for the baby. They just sound SO miserable and sad. It’s OK, little guy! I wish I could share some of my wine with you but…I think I’ll keep it all to myself :).
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 1 large handful spinach
- 1 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Dash of vanilla
- Toppings - fruit, rolled oats, granola, coconut flakes, nut butters
- In a blender, finely blend the spinach with almond milk. Add in the cinnamon and vanilla
- In a small bowl, mix the chia seeds with the green almond milk
- Place the chia pudding overnight in the fridge, or for a minimum of thirty minutes
- Remove and top with fruit and other toppings of choice!
If you like this, you’ll love: Blueberry Oatmeal Yogurt Bake (another great make ahead breakfast option!)
Thanks for stopping by! 
That is so interesting that you travel for work so often! I imagine that it can be hard on the body - good for you for taking care of yourself with proper nutrition and workouts
That green chia pudding looks fantastic!
Jess @hellotofit recently posted…Dairy free coconut milk custard
Yes - taking care of the basics even becomes more important when you’re on planes every week.
You are so funny!! haha, thinking about sharing your wine with a baby! :p This looks amazing! Seriously, YUM! So healthy and delicious!
Haha - thanks for stopping by!
Wow! You travel every week, that might be fun for those who don’t do that often! But I feel for you, I know this regular traveling feeling! It’s really not fun every time! Eating healthy and keep yourself hydrated is really a good idea Dani! And I am completely loving this green chia pudding form! YUMMY!
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen recently posted…Amritsari Chole
Thank you! And yes - traveling can get really old. But its always exciting!
I love making chia pudding, but why have I never thought to mix some spinach in to it? Great idea - I will be doing that this week
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy recently posted…Comment on Halloumi Vegetable Skewers by Dannii
Awesome - let me know what you think!
This chia pudding looks gorgeous, Dani! Such a great idea to make it green. I’ve made green shakes before, so I’m loving the addition in chia pudding! Yum!
Gayle @ Pumpkin ‘N Spice recently posted…Root Beer Float Popsicles
Thanks!! I had a green shake this morning
This is soooo gorgeous!
I always go all germ crazy on a plane. I’m the girl who carries around a pocket pack of wipes to get the seat clean. I swear it helps.
I keep looking for Dierks to hang out with on my flights… but I never see him. 😉
Julie @ Running in a Skirt recently posted…4th of July Weekend with a Daylily Farm
I should do that! Smart idea!
I love the color of this yummy recipe. Gorgeous photos! I’ve never thought to mix spinach and chia seeds = very creative!
Lauren | Just a Pinch recently posted…It’s just stuff + other things you learn when you’re moving cross-country
Thank you! You don’t even taste the spinach!
I hear ya girl, I always feel like the germs are just swirling around in my face on airplanes! My ritual is to drink a green juice beforehand to held ward off the germs.
Nicole @ Foodie Loves Fitness recently posted…My Workouts Lately {Muscle Tweaks Can’t Hold Me Down!}
Not a bad idea! May do that before my flight this morning!
Ha! Brandon said the same exact thing when he got home the other night. There were people coughing all around him the entire flight! Ugh, so awful! There should be some rule against it or something.
This pudding sounds like a boost for the immune system though. I love the bright green color!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health recently posted…Skin Refreshing Watermelon Smoothie
I have thought about bringing on those face masks to flights before! lol
Ugh flying is the worst for all the germ-ness that happens. I would of never thought to put spinach in a chia pudding so this sounds delicious!
Megan @ Straight From The Jar recently posted…Parmesan Zucchini Noodle Bake In A Jar
You don’t even taste the spinach - swear!
This looks great. I love how the little oat topper makes it more filling - I’ve never thought of doing that! Spinach is pretty much my fav smoothie veggie. Can’t even taste it, which is exactly what you want in a morning smoothie. 😉
Agreed! Thanks for stopping by!