Protein Chia Yogurt Bowl with Lemon and Chamomile

Start your day with a creamy chia yogurt bowl that is protein packed with Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, with a fresh and vibrant lemon and chamomile-honey flavor. It takes you 5 minutes to make and the rest is done by itself! 

 

 

When it comes to breakfast, to me, it generally needs to be healthy and filling enough to last until lunch. With an active lifestyle, a smoothie, as delicious as it is, isn't going to cut it. With its protein, this chia yogurt is just what you need to keep you full.

 

For more healthy and filling breakfast ideas, I recommend these strawberry rhubarb oatmeal bars, protein mug cakes, whole wheat honey banana bread, or for a savory treat; green shakshuka with pesto eggs or Cilbir Turkish eggs.

 

Why you'll love this recipe

 

You will love this recipe because

 

• it is ridiculously easy to put together
• it is easy to bring to school/work
• the flavor profile is pretty mild, with a bright flavor of lemon and a floral hint from the honey and chamomile
• and therefore it can be topped with pretty much any fruits, sauces and power boosts

 

 

Ingredients

 

Greek yogurt is the base of this chia bowl. Greek yogurt is packed with calcium, protein, probiotics, iodine and B-12. This makes it possible to improve bone health, keeps you full for longer (my point exactly!), boosts metabolism, and it's also good for your gut health - hence why I add it to my upset stomach green smoothie!

 

Cottage cheese naturally contain a lot of the same things as Greek yogurt both being dairy products. It's also low calorie compared to a lot of other cheeses. An excellent source of potassium, phosphorous, selenium and vitamin A too.

 

Chia seeds are a great source of fiber, omega 3, antioxidants, calcium and again protein! All these things make it a great choice for breakfast or post-workout snack to help repair muscles and keep you full until the next meal. Chia seeds also gels up in liquid which makes the yogurt into a yogurt pudding. Very satisfying and creamilicious!

 

 

Lemon juice to brighten it up and adding some flavor!

 

Honey to sweeten the chia yogurt. Honey has anti-inflammatory effects with its high contents in antioxidants. 

 

Chamomile flowers to infuse the honey with a floral note. I do this with lavender for my lavender honey too and it's a great way to get your honey to taste more honey-y. Both the lavender honey and this chamomile honey can be used interchangeably, both have a soothing effect. Lavender can be overpowering, although not in this honey, I don't think.

 

Use the rest of your chamomile flowers in this mulled grapefruit cider, just switch the calendula (marigold) flowers with chamomile!

 

Step-by-step instructions

 

I'm not really sure you even need step-by-step instructions for this recipe. But anyway, start by making the chamomile honey. 

 

Combine honey, water and chamomile flowers in a saucepan and stir over low heat until the honey dissolves. Take it off the heat and let it infuse. 

 

 

I'd say it should be infused for a minimum of 2 hours, but I really love to infuse it for a long time to get a more pungent floral flavor. This comes down to your personal preference. You could also make it the night before and it can be used for breakfast or lunch the next day.

 

Strain the honey and add to a clean glass jar.

 

To make the protein chia yogurt bowl, combine Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, chia seeds, lemon juice and chamomile honey in a blender. Blend until smooth. Blending the chia seeds makes it easier to absorb the nutrients, but you can stir them in after blending too.

 

 

Because chia seeds gel in liquid, it is best to eat it after about 2+ hours. The chia seeds thus makes the yogurt more like a creamy pudding-ish consistency instead of yogurt consistency.

 

You can, however, eat it right away. Top with whatever you like, see my ideas below!

 

Recipe FAQs

 

Can you put chia seeds in yogurt?

Yes. You can eat chia seeds raw, so you can put them on anything you want! However, if you eat it right away, the chia seeds won't gel up. 

 

How long should chia seeds soak in yogurt?

I think 2 hours is perfect. Longer is also fine, you can make it the night before and it's ready for breakfast. But if you eat it right away, it will have more of a yogurt consistency (which is nothing wrong with in the first place), rather than a little thicker, but not quite pudding either - read next question if you want a pudding. It comes down to your own preference!

 

 

Do I need to soak chia seeds before adding them to yogurt?

You can, and for this recipe which uses a thick yogurt, the chia seeds won't plump up the way they do in a regular chia seed pudding. However, if you want a more gel like consistency, I would rather reduce the amount of yogurt to 1 cup, and add 1 cup of milk instead, increase chia seeds to ⅓ cup (5 tablespoons).  

 

Is chia pudding actually good for you?

Chia pudding can be very good for you, especially if you grind the chia seeds. Grinding them makes it easier for us to absorb all the nutrtients. You also often use many other healthy ingredients, like almond milk, coconut milk or in this case Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, healthy fruits and nuts. So yes, I would say it is healthy.

 

Is chia pudding good for weight loss?

Healthy does not always correlate with low-calorie. When chia seed pudding is made with full-fat coconut milk for instance, it is healthy but high in calories and fat. However, this chia pudding is good for weight loss because it uses Greek yogurt and cottage cheese instead, which helps make you feel fuller. 

 

 

Chia seed proportions

1 tablespoon chia seeds to 4 tablespoon liquid will make a chia seed pudding. However, as yogurt and cottage cheese are already quite thick, I use less chia seeds. As I mentioned over here, because the Greek yogurt is so thick, the chia seeds won't absorb as much liquid and won't plump up the same was as if you chose a thinner liquid.

 

Read under "Do I need to soak chia seeds before adding them to yogurt?" for how you can get a gel-like consistency. 

 

Expert tips

 

Best toppings

Top this dish with seasonal fruits, seeds and sauces and it can be a new dish eash season! Here are my ideas:

 

• Pictured here: Mango, blueberries, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds and hemp seeds + more chamomile honey. Great for spring and summer!
• Cranberries, orange zest and pecans are great for Thanksgiving or Christmas
• Sliced bananas and peanut butter are good pretty much all year round
• Go all in with the berries for summer. I love strawberries, blueberries, red currants, black currants, blackberries (ETC, I love them all!)
• Mix a scoop of chocolate or vanilla protein powder into the yogurt, and it's even more filling and protein packed. For chocolate, top with cocoa nips, date caramel and bananas or strawberries. 
• ... and the list goes on!

 

 

Did you like this recipe? Here are more healthy breakfast options

 

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