January 24, 2022

Easy Toddler Breakfast Banana Chia Seed Pudding

I love easy toddler breakfast recipes that are simple to prep and nutritious. And this banana chia seed pudding recipe is just that. Plus, I like to eat it too!

There are a lot of chia seed pudding recipes out there, but I created this one after some experimenting and doing a little research on chia seed serving sizes and milk substitutes. Please note that I am not a nutritionist or medical professional, but am sharing what I believe is appropriate for my toddler.

This banana chia seed pudding recipe has 3 ingredients – banana, oat milk (or milk of your choice) and chia seeds. It requires no cooking or baking. Just mix the ingredients together and let it sit in the fridge overnight!

(If you want to add some extra yumminess, you can add some unsweetened cocoa powder and alcohol free vanilla flavoring too.)

When it’s all ready, I dole out the pudding into 4 small containers to keep in the fridge so that they are ready to grab for an easy toddler breakfast on the go or snack. My toddler will gobble one of these up within minutes!

Banana Chia Seed Pudding Recipe for an Easy Toddler Breakfast

Ingredients (4 Servings)

1 ripe banana
3/4 cup oat milk (or milk of your choice, see notes)
2.5 tablespoons of chia seeds (see chia seed serving size notes)

Optional
1 teaspoon of alcohol free vanilla flavoring
1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

Mash the banana up with a fork and then mix the milk and chia seeds in with it.
(If you want a super smooth consistency, blend the banana with the milk in a blender, and then stir the chia seeds in.)
Let the mixture sit in the fridge for at least 6 hours (stir it up after an hour or so to make sure all the seeds get hydrated). Serve as is or with toppings of your choice!

Do let the seeds soak for at least 6 hours. According to WebMd, chia seeds can soak up to 27 times their weight in water! So if consumed dry, they could potentially create an internal blockage.

Banana Chia Seed Pudding Ingredient Notes

Bananas

Bananas are great natural sweeteners! So a perfect choice for this healthy pudding. Plus they have lots of nutritional benefits and most toddlers love them!

Verywell Family lists the following nutritional facts for a banana; fiber (3 grams), protein (1 gram), vitamin B6 (.4 mg), Vitamin C (10 mg), Potassium (422 mg) and Magnesium (32 mg).

For another banana based easy toddler breakfast, you can check out my post on Banana Veggie Pancakes.

Milk

Any type of milk will do for this chia seed pudding recipe. I prefer to use oat milk though, because it gives another layer of sweetness to the pudding. My favorite is “Silk’s Original Oat Milk”.

I have also tried making this banana chia seed pudding with whole milk and canned full fat coconut milk. I’m sure soy and almond milks would work as well!

I am careful about serving sizes if using full fat coconut milk, which I have seen a number of chia pudding recipes call for online. While it makes the pudding delicious, creamy and coconuty, it’s quite high in saturated fat. For example, the 13.5 oz can I have in my pantry has 65 grams of saturated fat.

Earth’s Best Organic states that toddlers should have no more than 10 grams of saturated fat in a daily 1,000 calorie diet. (Most toddlers need about 1,000-1,400 daily calories depending on age and size, according to WebMd).

Chia Seeds

Hydrated chia seeds are what give this pudding its texture. And in addition to that important function, chia seeds have many health benefits!

Serving Size – The Chia Co recommends toddlers aged 1-5 years old have 2 tsp of chia seeds daily. Healthy Little Foodies however, recommends starting with a 1/2 teaspoon a day to see how well a child tolerates the seeds. Chia seeds are high in fiber and as we all know, too much of a good thing usually never ends well.

In this case, the result could be tummy aches, diarrhea, constipation, gas and bloating. Since my toddler seems to tolerate chia seeds well, I give him 1 serving of this pudding. The recipe above makes 4 servings, with each single serving having about 2 teaspoons of chia seeds.

Allergy Awareness – Aside from making sure chia seeds have been sufficiently soaked in a liquid before consuming them as noted earlier (to prevent any blockages), Healthline warns of the possibility of chia seed allergies. Superfoodly states that chia seeds have similar properties to sesame seeds, which apparently are among the top 9 allergens.

Health Benefits – WebMD explains that the antioxidants in chia seeds can help keep cells healthy, reduce inflammation and help with heart health. Additionally, the high fiber content can help manage blood sugar levels, and the magnesium and phosphorus nutrients support bone health.

Chia seeds are also on my list of Good Sources of Iron For Babies and Toddlers, and are an essential nutrient for developing children.

Constipation Relief – An additional benefit of chia seeds is their ability to help relieve constipation. Healthline states, “Chia seeds are one of the most fiber-dense foods available”, and that the gel from chia seeds hydrated with liquid helps bulk up stools and allows them to pass along easier.

This is of particular interest to me, because my toddler has been taking a daily teaspoon of Miralax as prescribed by his pediatrician for a year now. Despite having a diet rich in fruits and veggies, we still have to rely on the Miralax to keep him regular.

While the consensus among medical professionals is that Miralax is safe for kids (you can check out my post Is Miralax Safe for Toddlers), I would still like to eventually get away from those daily doses.

Update – Since regularly giving my 2 year old this chia seed pudding, we have cut his Miralax dosage in half, and even skip some days and he is doing great!

I’d love to know if you tried this recipe or a variation and how you liked it. Say hi and let me know in a comment!