Cacao Protein Pudding

If you're looking for a new way to add a little more protein into your diet, this is just for you. Sometimes protein shakes can get boring. And there's only so much boneless, skinless chicken breast one can stand.

Here's your solution -- a little bit of almond milk, protein powder, chia seeds, some cacao powder, and you're all set.

A little bit about some of the ingredients:

Almond milk is my non-dairy milk choice -- you can use whichever you like. I try to avoid as much dairy as possible because it can be difficult to digest and, I can really do without the fat it contains.

Chia seeds are a great source of protein, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, antioxidants and fiber. The thing that is really cool about chia seeds is that they are gelatinous. They are the secret ingredient that makes this pudding, well ... pudding. When the seeds come in contact with liquid they expand and become gel-like.

Cacao is different from cocoa, in that, it is less processed and has a high concentration of antioxidants. It also contains protein, fiber, essential fats and minerals. If you're going for a chocolate flavor, might as well get the added nutritional benefits, right?

Here's the recipe:

1 cup almond milk*
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tablespoon cacao powder
3 tablespoons chia seeds

Directions: add all ingredients into a blender and pulse on a low speed for a few seconds. -- just long enough to break up the cacao powder. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator overnight. The longer it sets, the more the mixture becomes like a pudding.

*For this recipe, I would suggest using original almond milk versus unsweetened almond milk. The cacao powder is a little bitter and the small amount of sugar in the original almond milk will help balance that out.

Enjoy!