Chocolate Pudding and Sugar Story

I wanted to post a little about my story with sugar. I'm slowly trying to add more and more about me as I post, so you can get to know me a little better. When I was in the 8th grade, my friend was doing a "no sugar" challenge for a year. Her parents had promised her a significant amount of money if she could do it. When she told us about it, I immediately wanted to do it. The competitive side in me kicked into gear and I vowed to myself that from that moment on I would not eat sugar. I wasn't doing it for money or anything, just simply for my own challenge. I wanted to see how long I could go without sugar for. So, I quit sugar cold turkey. Sure the sugary stuff looked good, but I kept going strong. As my self-induced challenge continued I found myself dropping more and more weight. I liked that. Being a dancer I saw that as a good thing. As more and more weight came off, I became more and more obsessive about not eating sugar, and eventually restricting food. I won't go into all of that because that is a tale for a different day.


I continued my sugarless streak for about 7 years. Many people ask me how in the world I was able to last that long without sugar. I credit part of my success to my mom who was also into nutrition and health. Towards the beginning of my sugarless journey, she would make little treats that were made with coconut sugar or pure maple syrup. Having those healthy treats on occasion really helped me stick to not eating refined sugar. One of the treats she made the most, and which I loved, was chocolate avocado pudding. She would make it and put it in the fridge and/or the freezer for me to enjoy.

I'll be honest, I've never been a huge pudding fan, though. Let me make that more clear…I've never been a fan of store bought pudding. My mom's chocolate pudding is a different story though. It's so light and yet completely satisfying. It treats your sweet tooth without all of the refined sugar and additives. Only pure, simple ingredients in this pudding!

Being at college, I have completely lost my sugarless fight. Man, it's hard!! It's like everywhere you go, everywhere you turn there's sugary treats. However, I've been trying to cut back on sugar, as I've realized that it makes me swollen and inflamed. I was thinking about something yummy I could make, when this pudding popped into my mind. I don't have the recipe for it, so I thought I would make up my own.
Chocolate Avocado Pudding
Serves: 2-4 depending on serving size

 Ingredients:
-3 avocados (I used 1 large and 3 small ones. 
-2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
-1/4 cup + 4 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
-1/2 cup water
-10 pitted dates
-1 Tbsp. almond butter (optional)

 Directions:
-Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth. 
-Place in the freezer or fridge to cool and thicken. 
-ENJOY!!

I hope you enjoy this pudding as much as I do! It's a delicious treat, especially for the summer!

Simply,
Kenzie M

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