I want to let you all in on a little secret: dietitians do not eat perfectly! I really do enjoy fresh, wholesome, colorful foods, but I also include a little bit of "junk." I have a huge sweet tooth-total chocolate addict! All shapes and forms! One being chocolate pudding! A super comfort food and childhood favorite, this dessert has very little nutritive value in it. Try my whimsical healthy twist on this classic using some unexpected ingredients: bananas and avocados!
Traditional Chocolate Pudding
(6-8, ½ c servings)
- 1 c sugar
- ½ c cocoa powder, unsweetened
- ¼ c cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 c 2% milk
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
| Before | |
| Calories | 266 |
| Total Fat | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 23 mg |
| Sodium | 300 mg |
| Carbohydrate | 45 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
Chocolate Banana Avocado Pudding
- ½ to 1 cup vanilla almond milk (or milk substitute of your choice)
- 1 medium, perfectly ripe avocado
- 1 medium, perfectly ripe banana (or substitute a second avocado)
- 2 tablespoons natural raw nut butter, such as peanut or almond (optional)
- 2-4 tablespoons cocoa (find a gluten free brand, if needed)
- 1-3 tablespoons honey or agave
- ½-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel and quarter avocado, remove pit. Peal and quarter banana.
- Starting with almond milk, add all ingredients to a food processor or blender in amounts according to your taste.
- Process on high until smooth. Use more or less milk substitute to achieve desired consistency.
| Before | After | |
| Calories | 266 | 154 |
| Total Fat | 8 g | 7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 23 mg | >1 mg |
| Sodium | 300 mg | 21 mg |
| Carbohydrate | 45 g | 20 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g | 4 g |
| Protein | 7 g | 4 g |
Nutrition overview:
- Utilizing lower fat dairy (replacing 2% or whole milk with skim) is a quick fix to reduce fat and cholesterol content
- Including avocado and banana help create a pudding consistency with out the need for added stabilizing ingredients like cornstarch and sugar, thusly, bringing down the sugar content of this dish
- Avocado and banana increase the fiber and overall nutritive value of this recipe-fresh fruits and vegetables are always a welcome inclusion to any recipe!
- While the "rescued" recipe is comparable in fat to the original, these fats are of the heart healthy variety, supplied by the avocado. We need these omega fats in our diet!
- Sodium and carbohydrate content were significantly reduced, thanks to the more "natural" flavoring agents of the ingredients. Less use of added processed ingredients will only make your dish better for you!