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Two times this week, people have asked me about my diet while training for the marathon. I love getting these types of questions because it tells me they are considering training for a race of their own! It doesn’t have to be a marathon, or even a half-marathon, I think running a 5K for the first time is an awesome accomplishment. We are all very busy everyday so to find the time to train and eat right can be hard but there are several things you can do to help yourself accomplish your goals.
- Set a goal – whether it is walking 30 minutes everyday, the C25K (couch to 5K program), or your first marathon. It doesn’t matter the milestone, just that you have set the goal. Make it reasonable but a challenge.
- Find a time that works for you almost everyday – I realized 5:30 am was my time. My girls are young and not in school everyday for full days, so daytime doesn’t work for me, and in the evenings I don’t want to do much, so I adjusted my clock to start sounding between 5 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.. It was hard at first but now it’s just what I do.
- Have a plan – one of my favorite things about training for the marathon was getting my training program. It was all laid out for me, I just had to cross off my runs as I completed them. Also, I had someone to run with on long runs. We were total strangers who showed up at the same time on the trail one day and started meeting every Saturday. It helped time go by while running and I was also accountable for being there and getting in the mileage since she was too.
- Simple, made ahead meals are so important in my home – we are all going non-stop all day so I want just a few ingredients with lots of nutrition to make a meal.
I ate a lot of chia seeds while training for the marathon, after all they are known as “running food”. They are full of protein, omega’s, calcium, and fiber to help keep me feeling full when I was burning lots of energy. After a long run, they say it is really important to refuel with a high protein and high carb snack or meal and the chia seeds do that and more. It became routine for me to come home from a long run and have chia seeds pudding, or my overnight oats along with a green smoothie.
I’m not much of an eater before I workout. The night before a long run, I make my oats or chia pudding, and take a couple bites and half of a banana before leaving the house. Then I finish the oats or pudding when I get home. They take just a few minutes to make the night before and then it’s ready for me in the morning! Easy, nutritious, and tasty!
This time of year I hear “pumpkin spice” a lot, but not usually in a healthy way. Here is a healthy meal with that same taste! Your kids will enjoy this one too!! Enjoy.
| Pumpkin Spice Chia Pudding |
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- 1/2 cup almond milk (any milk will work but that is what I use)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 tsp. maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- Mix all the ingredients into a bowl and let it sit for 1 hour, or overnight in the refrigerator. I almost always make mine the night before.
9 comments… read them below or add one
This looks delicious. I must admit this is the first time I have heard of Chia seeds. I will look it up in my local health foods shop on my next visit. I am used to soaking things overnight so that is not a problem. It has become routine for me. I soak my almond before making the milk. I soak my pulses before pressure cooking. I have been a vegan for over 10 years am also very passionate about keeping healthy and eating healthy foods. I agree that obesity and diabetes can be very easily controlled if people will only take control of their own lifestyles and change the way they eat.
Dee, I think you will really enjoy chia seeds. I have been vegetarian (nearly vegan) for almost two years now and chia seeds are my primary source of protein, omega’s, and calcium. Hope you enjoy!
I made this but it never went into a pudding. Just still liquid :/
Hi Emily, I’m so sorry it did not turn out. How long did you let it sit in refrigerator? It will take a little time, at least one hour. I usually make mine several hours ahead of time, but it should be ready after an hour. Hopefully it just needs more time. I make this at least once a week and have not had a problem before.
I saw this and bought chia seeds for the first time to give it a try. I am hooked! I love it. I make double the recipe and leave it in the fridge to snack on during the day or dessert after a meal. I just made the chocolate banana recipe can’t wait till its ready.
Hi Teresa. Thank you so much for the feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed the pumpkin spice chia pudding, and I hope you loved the chocolate banana just as much! I have a new recipe for chia pudding coming soon!!
Have a great day! ~Victoria.
Another winner with my son! It actually was with both kids, but my son is the harder one to get healthy food into at times. Also another new braces friendly recipe
Needed something different than vanilla or choc chia pudding. This was fantastic! Soooo good!!
Thanks, Colleen! So glad you enjoyed it!