with more than just one sweet tooth in our healthy little smiles, crafting ways to reinvent classic desserts is something of a sport in our office. Though refined sugars, white flour and unhealthy fats are not in our diet, desserts will always be a non-negotiable. The trick to keeping dessert on the menu is to take the basic flavors and components and replace them with nutrient-rich, health-promoting alternatives. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, chocolate has been on the brain. As simple and basic as chocolate pudding may be, it always hits the spot and we thought we’d give it a try. The first step to making a healthy pudding? Chia.

If you have not tried chia yet, then this superfood seed is about to become one of your favorites in the kitchen. With the addition of liquid, the seeds burst, miraculously transforming themselves into a gel. This chia gel has a neutral taste that lends itself to any flavor profile or dish you desire – whether in a smoothie, pudding, baked good or breakfast bowl.

As one of the world’s oldest and most powerful superfoods, chia is not only a great dessert alternative, but it also fills a gap in your daily nutrient intake. Chia has six times more calcium than milk, eight times more omega-3s than salmon, fifteen times more magnesium than broccoli, two times more potassium than bananas and thirty percent more antioxidants than blueberries. Make this delicious pomegranate cacao chia pudding to give the superseed a try.