Well, the cat’s outta the bag: in a few short weeks I will be unemployed. YAY. My boss sold her company and a handful of us (okay, all of us) are being laid off. It’s been stressful; I’ve never left a job under these circumstances. Usually, when I move on from a position it’s my own choice; I hand in my notice and move on. But this, well, this level of uncertainty wreaks havoc on my nerves.
After hearing the news, I spent a good deal of time unbearably stressed out, then a little while just angry about the whole thing. I eventually just accepted the situation, and currently, I’m actually excited about being laid off. I may be exaggerating a little bit I totally am but hey! It’s a fresh start! A chance to find something exciting! An opportunity to grow and evolve! No regrets! No going backwards! I’m excited, I mean look at all these exclamation marks I’m using! A lot!
In all seriousness, though, losing your job is tough. It’s serious business.
It’s times like these that I stress eat. My go-to vice at the moment is a handful – nay, a BAG – of those chocolate covered peanuts, but let’s be real, there’s no way I can eat those continuously without falling even deeper into a rabbit hole of despair. Those crunchy nuggets may satisfy my immediate need for relief, but they definitely won’t satisfy my mental state in the long run.
Thus begins my quest for healthier, binge-worthy, grief-swallowing snack food.
PUDDING! Homemade pudding is the bomb, but it falls under the same shame-eating umbrella as those chocolate covered peanuts. A healthier option involves:
- whipped avocado… who knew of such food sorcery?
- creamy vanilla greek yogurt
- fresh berries (bonus points if they’re hand-picked)
Whipped avocado is my new favourite thing. Toss a peeled, pitted avocado in a food processor with some agave syrup (or honey), vanilla extract, and a splash of almond milk, and you have a smooth, creamy pudding-like consistency that’s just sweet enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, but healthy enough to keep your waist slim and trim. Hurrah!
The beauty of this recipe is that it is 100% customizable. Don’t have honey? Use sugar. Not sweet enough? Add more sugar! Maybe toss in some cinnamon or cocoa powder, while you’re at it. Layer it with plain yogurt, vanilla yogurt, or even lemon meringue pie yogurt (ooh dang).
So next time you reach for that chocolate, or that pudding, take a second to rummage through your fridge to see if you can make some avocado pudding parfaits!
I’m not saying to skip the chocolate pudding all together, but in moderation…. 😉
| Avocado Pudding & Coconut Greek Yogurt Parfaits | Print |
- 1 large ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
- 2 Tbsp agave nectar (or honey)
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk, plus more if needed
- .
- Coconut Greek yogurt
- Shredded coconut
- Fresh berries, for topping (optional)
- In a blender or food processor, combine avocado, agave, and vanilla. Blend, slowly adding the almond milk until mixture reaches a pudding-like consistency. Depending on the size of your avocado, you may need to add a little bit more liquid.
- Transfer pudding to 2 small glass jars, layering with Greek yogurt, and shredded coconut. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Serve topped with fresh berries and more shredded coconut.
I just might have to make this for dessert tonight. You can’t go wrong with avocado pudding.
I hope you enjoy, Nicole! 😀
what is the serving size, how may oz = 1 serving.?