I am fully aware that no one gives a shit about my commentary on recipe posts, but I do want to take a moment to talk about why I really prefer berries over most other fruit when it comes to breakfast food.

Berries typically have a lot less sugar and a lot more fiber than other fruit, but they also pack a ton of flavor and a bigger antioxidant punch. And antioxidants are something you should pay attention to because we all have at least SOME degree of oxidative stress going on in our bodies.

What causes oxidative stress?

Oh, you know:

Eating shitty foods
Eating good foods that contain a lot of pesticides
Inflammation
Pollution
Chronic emotional stress

All the things. Now, some degree of oxidative stress in the body is not harmful, so don’t be overly concerned. But it’s still a good idea to make sure we eat enough antioxidants to clear out the junk in our bodies that we don’t need.

Because, unfortunately, there is a big ol’ list of cancers and other diseases that are linked to having chronic oxidative stress.

I’m oversimplifying this concept, but if you want more science-y information on how the body fights oxidative stress and free radicals, check this article out.

So, berries >>> other fruit, as a general rule.

But specifically, I love berries at breakfast because of their high fiber and low sugar content. Fiber is FILLING guys and we want FILLING in the morning because it’s much less likely you’ll overeat later in the day if you have a satiating breakfast.

megan laughing and eating blueberry cashew chia pudding

And! Keeping sugar as low as possible in the morning will keep your blood sugar more steady throughout the morning, which will:

a) give you longer-lasting, sustained energy throughout the morning.

b) keep your body in fat-burning mode.

c) keep you satiated until lunch and prevent snacking.

And! The great thing about this particular breakfast is that it’s also loaded with chia seeds and healthy fats. Honestly, if you eat this and get hungry before lunch, I’ll give you a million dollars.

For this particular recipe, I used Superfresh Growers blueberries. I get their organic berries because I just think organic berries have more flavor (might just be in my head but I don’t think so) AND I feel like they have a lot of jumbo blueberries. YOU KNOW YOU GO FOR THE JUMBO BERRIES.

Now, I know most chia pudding recipes you’ll find don’t include protein powder, but I REALLY recommend getting at least 20g of protein for breakfast. Having a high-protein breakfast - just like having a high-fiber breakfast - will keep you fuller longer, and it’s been shown to prevent overeating later in the day.

Protein is also just a great idea in the morning because it boosts your metabolism (protein has a thermogenic effect, so we actually burn calories will digesting it!). This is really why I recommend eating protein at every meal, but especially in the morning.

OK, that is sufficient commentary, thank you for those who read this and didn’t just skip to the recipe.

Blueberry Cashew Chia Pudding

Author: Megan Kober, RDN

Prep time: 10 min

Serves: 3

1 1/2 c frozen blueberries, thawed
1 c unsweetened, plain almond milk
1 c canned coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
3 Tbsp cashew butter
1/2 c chia seeds

Mash blueberries evenly into three small cups (with a lid)
Whisk milk, vanilla, protein, peanut butter, and chia seeds together until combined.
Carefully pour evenly into cups.
Refrigerate overnight.

This post is sponsored by Superfresh Growers. Look for them at your local grocery stores. Whole Foods often sells their produce, but you can also just ask your grocery store or DM them on Instagram and they can let you know where they sell their produce near you!