Vegan Breakfast Recipes: Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding

In a few days it will be Thanksgiving. Have you been getting ready for the feast, Dumplings? This year, it feels especially urgent to remind ourselves of what we're grateful for, which (all circumstances aside) is a whole lot. If you start with number one--yourself--and just consider the facts of what your body does for you every day without your having to think about it at all, there's enough to fill gratitude notebooks for a lifetime. Whether you find yourself toiling in the kitchen as sous chef, playing hostess extraordinaire, being a gracious and excited guest, or sliding between loving and hating your family members sitting elbow-to-elbow around a dining table, this week is bound to bring on stressful times. Your diet will be a little off, too, which is no big deal, but to maintain a sense of health and wellness (physical and emotional, mind you) don't forget to balance your holiday meal with wholesome standbys. This chia pudding is an excellent way to keep in the spirit of the holidays while forgoing some common indulgences this time of year--namely, sugar and simple carbohydrates. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend putting this out for your guests on Thursday as a substitute for pie (it all depends on the crowd, though!), you can easily incorporate it into your dessert rotation (or breakfast! or a snack!) throughout the week and not feel like you're missing any fun or flavor. Here, fiber-full pumpkin keeps you feeling satiated, nourishing chia keeps you hydrated with omega-3 fatty acids--which are essential as temperatures drop, and perhaps alcoholic consumption rises--while a baker-approved blend of spices triggers all your sensory memories of warmth and family. With no added sugar, it can be a refreshing palate cleanser, too, between tastings of all things candied and baked.