Avocado Superfood Pudding
Snack Pack and Kozy Shack chocolate pudding flavour profile, texture and mouthfeel were our inspiration, and what we were after with this recipe. Our challenge was to seamlessly integrate the essential nutrients for growing brains and remove the nasties lurking in conventional puddings (that make them so darn creamy and delicious). We think we’ve done it (it has been kid-approved in our test kitchen)!
This delicious superfood pudding is chock full of the essential brainiac building blocks: complex carbohydrates (blueberries, banana, flax seed), good fats (avocado, flax seed), protein (flax seed), prebiotics (banana), B vitamins (avocado, banana, cacao, flax seed), calcium, magnesium and iron (cacao powder). We love this pudding so much that we recommend it to the young at heart too, for a decadent, brain healthy breakfast, snack or dessert!
- 1/4 cup fresh blueberries + extra for garnish
- 1 Tbsp true cinnamon
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 ripe bananas
- 4 Tbsp raw cacao powder
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup or coconut sugar (optional)
- 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
- Pinch of sea salt, to taste (optional)
- Slivered or whole almonds to garnish (optional)*
- Add to blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Will last in fridge, covered, for 2 - 3 days.
- Garnish individual servings with a few blueberries and almonds (if using*).
* Almonds are a fantastic brain-fueling addition to this recipe. BUT it's easy to keep this recipe nut free - just omit the almond garnish.
Avocado:
- Despite the added fat and calories, the good fats and antioxidants in avocado are shown to curb the inflammation and vascular (eg. blood vessel) effects of hamburger patties (translation: add them to your burgers, sandwiches, etc.).
- Avocado oil is shown to improve functioning of mitochondria (ie. our cellular powerhouses that produce our energy molecule ATP) and reduce free radical damage.
- Myth Buster: Avocado is NOT fattening and should not be avoided, even if you are trying to lose weight as it’s shown to not derail weight loss efforts one bit!
Blueberries:
- Their special compounds may be an important nutritional intervention for age-related neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimers.
- Blueberry juice is shown to improve learning and memory, balance blood sugar (even though they taste so sweet, they won’t mess with your blood sugar!) and even reduce depressive symptoms.
Cinnamon:
- Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects have huge potential for addressing many brain and mental health conditions.
- It might be one of the ultimate brain foods for improving cognition as we age by preventing the buildup of beta-amyloid, the protein seen in the brain of those with Alzheimers disease.
- References
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- Li Z, Wong A, Henning S.M., Zhang, Y., Jones, A., Zerlin, A., Thames, G., Bowerman, S., Tseng, C.H., & Heber D. (2013). Hass avocado modulates postprandial vascular reactivity and postprandial inflammatory responses to a hamburger meal in healthy volunteers. Food & Function, 4(3), 384-391.
- Ortiz-Avila, O., Esquivel-Martínez, M., Olmos-Orizaba, B.E., Saavedra-Molina, A., Rodriguez-Orozco, A.R., & Cortés-Rojo, C. (2015). Avocado Oil Improves Mitochondrial Function and Decreases Oxidative Stress in Brain of Diabetic Rats. Journal of Diabetes Research. (in press).
- Pieterse, Z., Jerling, J.C., Oosthuizen, W., Kruger, H.S., Hanekom, S.M., Smuts, C.M., & Schutte, A.E.. (2005). Substitution of high monounsaturated fatty acid avocado for mixed dietary fats during an energy-restricted diet: effects on weight loss, serum lipids, fibrinogen, and vascular function. Nutrition, 21(1), 67-75.
- Kawatra, P., & Rajagopalan, R. (2015). Cinnamon: Mystic powers of a minute ingredient. Pharmacognosy Research, (Suppl 1), S1-6.
- Hügel, H.M. (2015). Brain Food for Alzheimer-Free Ageing: Focus on Herbal Medicines. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 863, 895-116.
- Lau, F.C., Shukitt-Hale, B., & Joseph, J.A.. (2007). Nutritional intervention in brain aging: reducing the effects of inflammation and oxidative stress. Subcellular Biochemistry, 42, 299-318.
- Krikorian, R., Shidler, M.D., Nash, T.A., Kalt, W., Vinqvist-Tymchuk, M.R., Shukitt-Hale, B., & Joseph, J.A.. (2010). Blueberry supplementation improves memory in older adults. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58(7), 3996-4000.
