I ask every potential client to keep a food diary for me for five days, where they record everything they eat and drink. I would say that nine of ten times, I see chocolate jotted down.
Chocolate is the number one go-to comfort food. From a “chocolate biscuit with my coffee” to “just a couple squares after dinner” - chocolate is both a special treat and a guilty pleasure.
What if you could decrease the guilt and increase the pleasure?
Most people’s answer to this challenge is to eat dark chocolate. And that’s a great start because it cuts down the sugar content. But as I’ve often said:
Just because you’re cutting something OUT of your diet, it doesn’t mean that you’re bringing anything of value IN.
So, today I wanted to share with you my one truly, guilt-free chocolate recipe because this chocolate treat doesn’t just TAKE AWAY guilt, it also ADDS to your nutritional intake, so it’s really a win-win!
This pudding is truly a superfood and thoroughly scratches the chocolate-itch. The reason why this is such a game changer is the use of LIVE FOOD. Every ingredient ADDS nutrients & value to your day - including the chocolate. Instead of using processed “COCOA” - this recipe uses “RAW CACAO” - and using RAW cacao is THE KEY to trading up your chocolate experience. This is because RAW food is richer in nutrients because the food hasn’t been deteriorated by processing.
CHOCOLATE AVOCADO PUDDING
2 soft and ripe avocados
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
3 tbsp nut milk or water
2 tablespoons maple syrup or alternatively 2 dates (soaked in water for 30min or overnight)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
Optional: 1 tbsp of flax meal or chia seeds for extra fibre (in which base you will have to add about 1/4 cup liquid in order to allow the fibre to expand).
Optional toppings: berries, banana, slivered almonds, hemp seeds, shredded coconut
Put all ingredients (except the optional ones listed above) in a food processor or Vitamix and blend until smooth. Sometimes, the avocados might be too bitter, in which case you might have to add another tbsp of maple syrup.
Store in a large tupper in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Serve with your favourite fruit (I really like raspberries) and a sprinkling of hemp seeds for an extra protein and healthy fat hit.
This pudding is the only way my youngest child will eat avocado. I’ve made it at birthday parties and served it in small individual cups. I’ve also used the pudding to make a cake by using it as the filling on top of a pie crust. It really is a family favourite and such an easy, nutritious and versatile desert.
Want to make this pudding pantry-friendly because avocados go bad quickly?
Swap the avocado with 1 cup of sweet potato (steamed until soft and cool) and 1/2 cup cashews (soaked for 30min or overnight). You still get a dose of healthy fats from the cashews, but you also get some VitA from the sweet potato, which is one of the COVID-busting nutrient featured in my COVID meal planning posts.
Happy chocolate eating!!