Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkins are my favorite flavor, and I'm thinking that it's about time I combined them with one of my other favorite things, Chia Pets. Err, chia seeds that is, the same lovely little seed that formerly brought us our favorite childhood gardening project, Chia Pets. These seeds are packed with all kinds of good stuff: omega-3's, fiber, calcium, and triptophan. Yes, the same chemical blamed for our sleepy after-tukey food coma (because it couldn't be just plain old over-eating) is actually great for seratonin production. Seratonin of course is a happy brain chemical, helping us on our way to feelings of calm and relaxation. I certainly could use an extra dose of emotional stability.

The other cool thing about chia seeds is that they soak up liquid to make a kind of gel, a lot like tiny tapiocas, so you can use them as a thickener in recipes like smoothies or pudding. Plus they're low in calories and slow down digestion, which helps regulate blood sugar. Pop a tablespoon of them into your breakfast smoothie and you'll get a much thicker consistancy, plus 5 extra grams of fiber and only 60 calories.

This is a delicious oatmeal recipe created by my friend Sara, a registered dietician. She's made all kinds of lovely recipes with chia seeds, but this one is my favorite! It's perfect for a cold morning or a pre-workout meal. I definitely ate several servings of this at once the first time I made it, but the nutrition info is so stellar that I didn't feel bad at all. You've been warned.

Pumpkin Pie Chia Seed Oatmeal

Recipe by Sara Ansari, RD from designer-diets.com

1 cup uncooked steel cut oatmeal

4 cups water

1/4 cup dried chia seeds

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (no sugar added)

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

(optional) sweetener to taste

2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey for garnish

In a deep medium pot, boil 4 cups water. Add 1 cup steel cut oatmeal and cook according to directions. 
While the oatmeal is cooking, soak 1/4 cup chia seeds in mixture of 1/4 cup water and 1 cup almond milk. Seeds will form a paste/gel like consistency.
 When the oatmeal is done cooking and water is absorbed, add the chia seed mixture, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon to the oatmeal. Divide into servings bowls and garnish with a drizzle of maple syrup or honey and additional cinnamon if desired.

Serving size is 3/4 cup. Makes 6 servings.

Per serving:

185 calories

5 grams fat

33 grams carbohydrate

10 grams fiber

8 grams protein