The Proof is in the Pudding

I feel like I need to start this post by saying that this little baby I'm carrying is awesome. I sure hope I'm taking good care of him or her, because he or she is certainly being kind to me. I mean, the baby appears to be craving veggies?

I was at Whole Foods this week grocery shopping on an empty stomach-- always a bad idea. I figured I'd get one of those flourless fudgy chocolate cookies in the bakery as my treat (I was addicted to them last spring). But as I walked past the bakery case, suddenly I realized that what I really wanted was... kale salad? Garlicky kale salad. So I got some from the salad bar, and it was awesome. Who am I?!

It's been a huge relief to crave savory, salty, or spicy foods the last few months instead of sweet stuff. Like, a huge mental relief. That being said, it's still really hard to stop once I do start on the sweets. And I'm still enjoying plenty of sugar, as evidenced by this post! But by and large I feel much more free (freer?) of that vicious sugar craving cycle than I used to, if that doesn't sound too melodramatic.

But that brings us to this dessert recipe. I've been wanting to make this vegan pudding for a while, but never really got around to it. Until I tracked my protein intake a few days ago. Did you know that pregnant women need 60-100 grams of protein a day? It appears that I hover around 60-70g most days. So I thought upping my protein might help with my waning energy levels, and this pudding seemed like a delicious way to sneak some in. It contains 12g of protein per serving! I feel compelled to tell you it also contains 28g of sugar per serving, so don't get too excited. Either way, it's truly delicious. Even my husband agrees. Don't knock it 'til you try it!

Vegan Chocolate Pudding

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
1 10-oz bag of vegan chocolate chips (Trader Joe's chocolate chips are the cheapest vegan ones I've found)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
12oz silken tofu, drained (make sure it's silken tofu)

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. Of if you don't have one, put them in a microwavable bowl and warm in 30-second increments, stirring between each one. Meanwhile, dump the tofu, milk, and vanilla in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and blend again until silky smooth. Refrigerate for at least one hour and enjoy!