Coconut Banana Matcha Chia Pudding
Coconut Banana Matcha Chia Pudding is here just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. These beautiful pots of green goodness are a leprechaun’s delight! They’re even topped with flecks of gold (ok, ok, it’s bee pollen). This Coconut Banana Matcha Chia Pudding is filled with tons of healthy ingredients and even some sneaky spinach. This is the perfect way to start your day if you want to get into the green spirit. Best of all, you can make it the night before to grab and go the next morning. We love an easy breakfast option!
Keep scrolling for the full Coconut Banana Matcha Chia Pudding recipe and for the awesome health benefits of its star ingredients.
Coconut Banana Matcha Chia Pudding Recipe
gluten-free, vegan & nut-free
Prep time: 5 minutes | Chill time: 1 hour or overnight | Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 banana
- 2 tbsp matcha
- 0 – 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ cup chia seeds
- Toppings of choice
Directions
- Blend together the coconut milk, spinach, banana and matcha until smooth. Taste and add maple syrup as desired. I like the bitterness of matcha so I find there is enough sweetness from the banana. For a smooth chia pudding, you can also blend the chia seeds.
- Pour into a large bowl and stir in chia seeds. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight to allow the chia seeds to absorb the liquid and turn into a gel-like consistency.
- Enjoy my Coconut Banana Matcha Chia Pudding for breakfast as is or topped with bee pollen, coconut flakes, fruit, nuts, seeds, granola or whatever you like to eat in the morning.
Health Benefits of Bananas
Bananas are a classic fruit with endless uses! I love the versatility of bananas (the nutrient profile isn’t too bad either). Bananas are best known for their potassium content. A single banana contains roughly 10% of our daily recommended potassium. But what else do bananas offer?
Bananas contain antioxidants to help us combat disease from oxidative stress. They also contain citric acid which can help to better absorb nutrients and convert them into energy that you can use. This makes bananas a great breakfast food!
They’re also easy to digest which is why we sometimes eat bananas when we have a stomach bug. They have easy-to-break-down carbohydrates and just the right amount of fibre to keep our tummies happy. They can also help replenish lost electrolytes when we’re sick, stressed, or after a workout thanks to all of that potassium!
Bananas get a bad reputation for being super high in sugar. And yes, each banana contains roughly 18 grams of sugar. But sugars are our top fuel source, and first thing in the morning our brains crave it so they can function. Bananas are an excellent whole food, they’re one of the top fruits consumed around the world. Sure we don’t want to overdo our sugar consumption, but when those sugars are coming from natural sources, with tons of healthy nutrients, and are paired with fibre to help slow that absorption, I’m all for it!
Health Benefits of Matcha
Matcha was discovered by a Buddhist monk named Myoan Eisai and was brought to Japan in the 12th century. Matcha is a tea made from dried, powdered leaves and it is used widely all over the globe. The process in which matcha leaves are grown creates a superfood tea containing theanine, caffeine, chlorophyll, and types of catechins (antioxidants). Let’s take a deeper look at the health benefits of this delicious green tea!
- The caffeine chlorophyll, Vitamin C, and catechins in matcha create an incredibly powerful blend of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Phenolic acids prevent cancers from growing within cells.
- Rutin (a very strong antioxidant) helps to strengthen blood vessels, thus protecting the cardiovascular system. It also has anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Quercetin protects the nervous system and improves insulin sensitivity, reducing the risk of diabetes.
- Theanine combined with caffeine help to improve focus and relieve stress.
Health Benefits of Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are one of my favourite health foods because they’re filling, versatile, and super nutritious!
They are packed with clean sweeping fibre which is the perfect way to get things moving in the morning if you know what I mean. The chia seeds are also high in healthy omega-3s. These omegas are excellent for boosting energy and are super important for brain health.
Chia seeds are also high in lots of important minerals like calcium for bone health, magnesium for mood regulation, folate for a healthy pregnancy, and selenium for a happy thyroid (just to name a few)!
This Coconut Banana Matcha Chia Pudding is a super filling breakfast and snack too because chia seeds are a fabulous source of plant-based protein! Swap your morning oats for a chia pudding for a yummy twist on a healthy (convenient) breakfast!
Your Employees Will Be Over The Rainbow With This Fun St. Patty’s Day Party Idea!
This green Coconut Banana Matcha Chia Pudding is on the website just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. I love St. Patty’s Day! Green beer, cosy comfort foods, celebrating with friends, it’s just such a fun holiday!
And of course, I couldn’t let the holiday pass us by without an awesome (healthy) office party idea for you! This month to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, I’m offering an Easy Shepherd’s Pie Cooking Class for you and your team to enjoy (photo above). Get in the festive spirit with me in my kitchen, and together we’ll whip up one of my favourite St. Patrick’s Day dinners.
Make it a happy hour and gift your team some green beers for even more festive fun! Best of all, this frees them up to spend time with their loved ones since dinner is done and ready to go! Your team will be so excited about this fun, festive, mood-boosting event.
Did you know that team-building activities like my virtual cooking classes can actually increase morale, job satisfaction, and productivity?
Email me at info@jesselanewellness.com for more details on how you and your team can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day together while crushing those health goals!
Easy Chia Pudding Recipe Roundup
Berry Banana Chia Pudding
Here’s another of my favourite chia puddings that also stars healthy bananas! Strawberry Banana Chia Pudding is the perfect springtime breakfast. I had so much fun styling this recipe to look just like an easter egg! The key to getting the strawberries and bananas to stick to the side of the glass is to slice them really thin. You can also play around with the fruit you use in this recipe, it tastes delicious with blueberries, kiwis and pretty much any fruit you love. You can also play with this recipe by adding nuts and seeds. If you’re excited to experiment with chia puddings, this recipe is the perfect (pretty) base to start with!
French Vanilla Cappuccino Chia Pudding
French Vanilla Cappuccino Chia Pudding is a fantastic way to start your day. It replaces your morning smoothie AND coffee in one delicious meal. It tastes just like a French Vanilla Cappuccino but it contains tons of protein and fiber to help keep you full all the way to lunchtime. This chia pudding is vegan and gluten-free, and makes a perfect breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up snack!
Chia Blueberry Parfaits
Parfaits are one of the easiest grab-and-go breakfasts around! Unfortunately, the refined sugar and dairy-laden ones you normally see at cafes can give these breakfast powerhouses a bad reputation. I’ve come up with a recipe for these delicious and healthy Chia Blueberry Parfaits which gives you the same convenience without sacrificing nutrients or health. These Chia Blueberry Parfaits are super low in sugar, high in fibre and above all – fresh and delicious!
