Sleepy-Time Toddler Choc Pudding

I am not exaggerating when I say both my toddlers request this EVERY night after dinner. My 1.5 year old who can’t talk just points at the fridge until we bring it out. Back story… I haven’t always been pro dessert for toddlers, particularly when they get into a habit of NOT eating their dinner and ONLY eating their dessert. That said, desperate times call for desperate measures. I’ve gone back to boomer parenting and in our household, if you eat your dinner (or at least try everything on your plate), you get to have some “dessert”. Dessert is either chocolate chia pudding (this recipe) or banana rounds with nut butter. 

Why do I call this sleepy-time chia pudding?

A 2023 study evaluating the dietary influence on childhood sleep found that those children who consume adequate protein and healthy fats throughout the day and in the evening were more likely to fall asleep faster and stay asleep for longer. Disclaimer, the study showed a high intake of healthy foods doesn’t necessarily guarantee higher sleep quality itself, but rather, the higher consumption of fast food and soft drink resulted more strongly in issues related to poor sleep outcomes. Regardless, we all know that consuming a macro balanced meal before bed will keep us feeling fuller for longer and can help to stabilise your child’s blood sugar levels for longer overnight. 

This chia pudding contains chia seeds which have a whopping 17g of protein per 100g (1 egg contains approximately 6g of protein). Chia seeds also contain a good source of healthy fats and plant-based omega 3 (better than flaxseeds!), insoluble and soluble fibre and minerals (manganese, phosphorus, copper, selenium, magnesium). Organic coconut milk, peanut butter, gelatin are also good sources of protein and healthy fats. Cacao contains magnesium however it also contains caffeine so i've only added a small amount to spread across the 6 servings. That said, if you'd like to skip this ingredient entirely, you can! My little ones are fine with a little bit of cacao! (much better than a chocolate bar with bulk sugar and preservatives!).

So...here is my favourite chocolate chia pudding recipe! Let me know if your children love it as much as mine! 

Servings: 6 

Ingredients 

½ cup of chia seeds
1 can organic coconut milk (I choose organic to avoid the sulphites)
1/2 cup water 
1.5 tbsp cacao (can add more depending on you/your child's preference)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract (add extra vanilla if you're not using cacao)
1 tbsp peanut butter
Pinch celtic sea salt (optional)
3 medjool dates (pitted) 
optional** 2-3 tsp coconut sugar (or honey or maple syrup depending on you/your child's sweetness preference)
optional** Probiotics (Activated Probiotics Biome Daily Kids. More and more research links gut bacteria to sleep quality. Your gut is pretty inactive at night time so taking a probiotic at night is more likely to help improve you and your child's population of microbes)

Method 

Place all ingredients in a blender (put the chia seeds in LAST to avoid them sticking to the bottom of your blender)

Pour into one big container or mini ramekins. Set in the fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight.