ch ch chia! (seeds that is)

I'm a picky eater, but I'm also a creature of habit. I eat the same 'ol stuff for breakfast and lunch most days. For breakfast at least, it's partially due to the fact that I'm time crunched and it's easy to have a routine and prep done the night before. My current breakfasts have included hard boiled egg whites (that I make on Sunday nights) and a multigrain English Muffin with a bit of Smart Balance spread. It's filling and easy (I take the muffin on the road).

BUT - I'm getting sick of the same thing and am starting to think about how my food choices will change with my upcoming commuting changes (more about that later).



Enter: Pintrest. I was apprehensive to join, but I am enjoying it for things like recipes and cleaning tips. I also bought some chia seeds that I haven't known what to do with. But Pintrest has introduced me to the world of chia puddings. Except one thing, I don't like the weird consistency. So I treated myself to this baby - Magic Bullet Mini! It comes with a mug that is the perfect size to make a single serving smoothie. The other little cup it comes with is also perfect for shredding small servings of veggies or puffed up chia seeds!

I am a chocoholic - so I knew that for me, a chocolate-y peanut buttery shake would make for a good first try. I had two canisters of Slim Fast powder, so I knew that would be a good way to get some chocolate sweetness with protein in. I added PB2 (powdered peanut butter) for additional peanut butter and flavor without the fat. I cut up bananas and froze them for more potassium and creaminess without watering it down.

Here's how I did it.

I took a tablespoon of chia seeds and let them soak in 1/2 cup of almond milk, along with a tablespoon of PB2 and a scoop of Slim Fast. I mixed it up and let it sit overnight. First thing in the morning, I blended that mix up. It becomes the consistency of pudding (and would probably make a fabulous little dessert as is!).

Then I added another 1/2 cup of almond milk and the cut up, frozen banana and blended again. And voila! You get this amazing, milk shake consistency yumminess! I thought it had the perfect amount of sweetness and creaminess. Plus, the prep the night before makes it just as easy to blend up in the morning.

You can easily drink it out of the cute little blender cup from Magic Bullet Mini or you can transfer it to any to-go cup that you like! I love that I can drink this while I'm getting ready or even bring it in the car or while I walk. New breakfast success!!

What do you like to have for breakfast? Any smoothie ideas? When the weather gets warmer - I want to try one with Vanilla powder and peaches!