Is chia pudding worth 300 calories?

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mbminx
mbminx Posts: 21 Member
in Food and Nutrition
MFP has me targeting 1370 calories a day (aiming to lose about 1 lb a week). I'm still figuring out what food options are worth the calorie hit.

Overnight oats - WIN. Those keep me full all morning.
"High protein & Fiber cereal" - not the best. Wanted a snack by 10 a.m.

I'm eyeballing chia pudding, but when I put the recipe in, the Recipe Builder tells me it's over 300 calories. 1/4 cup chia seeds, 1&1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk and 1/2 tbsp honey. There are some decent macros, but I can't tell if it's going to be worth 300 calories (in terms of keeping me satisfied).

I'll try it and let you know...

Replies

  • helene4
    helene4 Posts: 120 Member
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    I love having it instead of dessert
    I'm 1200cal/day
    I fit it in every few days
    It's not super filling, but still yummy and has a lot of nutritional benefits an average dessert or breakfast probably doesn't have

    I use stevia instead of honey and only 1cup of unsweetened almond milk, so that lowers the cal a little
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I add yogurt or cottage cheese on top and it definitely satisfies.
  • Wernerphoebe
    Wernerphoebe Posts: 2 Member
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    I love chia pudding, but cut out the honey and go with a bit of maple syrup. Add cinnamon or pie spice and a bit of vanilla. It really kicks it up a notch, and in my opinion paired with some fruit, the good fats do an excellent job of holding me over until lunch, but I suppose it's different for everyone .
  • murp4069
    murp4069 Posts: 494 Member
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    I've tried chia pudding every which way and I just can't find a way that I like it that fits in my calories. If it's breakfast, I'd rather have oatmeal. If it's dessert, for those kind of calories I'd rather have regular pudding. For less calories, I can have a Yasso frozen greek yogurt bar (actually I can have 3 of them), a cupcake, chocolate - basically a host of things I find much more enjoyable than chia pudding. I do use chia seeds here and there, thrown into salads for example, and I actually made some cookies once that had chia seeds that were really good. I just don't get the obsession with chia pudding, but to each his own. ;)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I really like it as an occasional 200 cal dessert. I think you can make it lower cal than 300 or I'd cut the portion, but that's me and what I like to spend on that kind of dessert. It's kind of a similar pleasure as rice pudding, which I also enjoy but don't have often.
  • tofuligan
    tofuligan Posts: 45 Member
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    Wow, that’s a ton of chia! My go-to is 1/4c oats, 1tbsp chia, 1/4c blended fruit, 1/4c healthy liquid. Keeps me fuller than chia pudding alone and slightly more interesting than standard overnight oats
  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 422 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    You dont have to follow that exact recipe, you can tweak it to suit. I have chia pudding nearly every night for dessert, which comes in at 210 calories.
    My recipe is:

    25g chia seeds
    25g chocolate / peanut butter protein powder
    50ml unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

    The macros are:

    protein - 26g
    Fat - 10g
    Fibre -10g
    Carbs 2g (net carbs, Australian labeling )

    Do you let this sit for awhile to thicken? Sounds yummy! I’ve only put a tsp or 2 in Greek yogurt with peanut butter powder and it thickens the longer it sits in the fridge. Wasn’t sure if that’s how this works too or do you eat right away? Thanks for your help
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Losewtforlife4him wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    You dont have to follow that exact recipe, you can tweak it to suit. I have chia pudding nearly every night for dessert, which comes in at 210 calories.
    My recipe is:

    25g chia seeds
    25g chocolate / peanut butter protein powder
    50ml unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

    The macros are:

    protein - 26g
    Fat - 10g
    Fibre -10g
    Carbs 2g (net carbs, Australian labeling )

    Do you let this sit for awhile to thicken? Sounds yummy! I’ve only put a tsp or 2 in Greek yogurt with peanut butter powder and it thickens the longer it sits in the fridge. Wasn’t sure if that’s how this works too or do you eat right away? Thanks for your help

    Yeah, you normally let it thicken. I use coconut milk and let it have time to expand.

    I don't find it needs sweetener, just fruit and spices, but I don't have the hugest sweet tooth.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Losewtforlife4him wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    You dont have to follow that exact recipe, you can tweak it to suit. I have chia pudding nearly every night for dessert, which comes in at 210 calories.
    My recipe is:

    25g chia seeds
    25g chocolate / peanut butter protein powder
    50ml unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

    The macros are:

    protein - 26g
    Fat - 10g
    Fibre -10g
    Carbs 2g (net carbs, Australian labeling )

    Do you let this sit for awhile to thicken? Sounds yummy! I’ve only put a tsp or 2 in Greek yogurt with peanut butter powder and it thickens the longer it sits in the fridge. Wasn’t sure if that’s how this works too or do you eat right away? Thanks for your help

    Yes, i usually make it around 1pm and let it sit in the fridge for around 5 hours. Ideally it turns out best when i "remember" to make it in the morning, the longer it sits, the better.
  • randomlyred
    randomlyred Posts: 23 Member
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    No.

    Put me in the crowd of to me it's a waste of calories and macros. I'd rather have oats, or eggs, or a yoghurt than a slimy, crunchy, healthy-tasting (not in a good way, in a "I will eat this because it's supposed to be good for me" way) bowl of slop that gets stuck in my teeth.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    chloe0wens wrote: »
    No.

    Put me in the crowd of to me it's a waste of calories and macros. I'd rather have oats, or eggs, or a yoghurt than a slimy, crunchy, healthy-tasting (not in a good way, in a "I will eat this because it's supposed to be good for me" way) bowl of slop that gets stuck in my teeth.

    Lol I'm sure more seeds get stuck in my teeth than actually make it into my stomach!

    I eat it firstly because i think it tastes good, the fibre and fat are just a bonus. I don't eat anything that i don't like the taste of just "because it's supposed to be good for me" . Been there, done that, and it never lasts.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Yeah, I ran into it as a dessert (I tried to recreate Pret's chia pudding), and have never had it as a meal. I certainly would not eat a dessert I did not enjoy. (I haven't had an issue with seeds in my teeth, luckily.)
  • dreamer12151
    dreamer12151 Posts: 1,031 Member
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    Wow...simple recipe, and if you like it, modify it for you. Like I did with my go-to. It has been modified from Minimalist Baker, but fits within my plan. Keeps me filled up for hours & satisfies my sweet tooth!

    makes 4 servings:
    1.50 cup, Unsweetened Coconut Milk
    1/3 cup Chia Seed
    1/2 tsp cinnamon
    1/4 tsp Sea Salt
    1/2 tsp Vanilla extract (have to admit, this sometimes ends up being almost 1 whole one... ;) )
    3 tbsps real Maple Syrup
    1 scoop protein powder (either chocolate or vanilla works)

    228 cals // 20g prot // 20g carb // 7g fat
  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
    edited January 2018
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    Following this thread.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    (I haven't had an issue with seeds in my teeth, luckily.)

    Ha you should see the sink when i rinse and spit after brushing my teeth :confounded: Those little suckers get lodged everywhere! I should have a big drink of water and swish after eating chia pudding in future.

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