Snack Spotlight: Coconut Banana Pudding

The girls have been on a banana kick recently. There are only so many banana and almond butter snacks to be eaten. So, while they were napping the other day, I pulled up a great, quick recipe from the blog of one my fellow nutritionists, Joy McCarthy. Not only did it contain the current favourite fruit, it also contained nutrient-dense coconut milk and chia seeds. 

This recipe contains loads of healthy fats for T&Q's developing brains and bodies. Chia seeds have become more mainstream in recent years, being touted as a superfood. They contain loads of fibre (double the amount of flax), Omega-3 fats, calcium and plenty of minerals. [Note: If you're introducing Chia into your diet for the first time, start small (1/2 tsp.) because too much, too soon can cause constipation]

I only had the pudding in the fridge for about an hour before the girls woke from their nap. It was more than enough time for it to thicken. It was a hit!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 3 dates soaked in 1/4 cup water for about 1 hour to make them plump (don’t discard the water!)
• 2 bananas
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup water (add more if you want it less pudding-like)

Method:

Place the bananas, soaked dates (pits removed), soaking water, coconut milk, vanilla and the extra 1/4 cup water into your blender. Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Pour your mixture into a large bowl and mix in the chia seeds. Cover and place in the fridge for a few hours.