Guiltless Chocolate Pudding

What if you could indulge your chocolate cravings without any guilt, while fuelling your body with antioxidant-rich powerhouse foods? Chocoholics, your prayers have been answered!

• Cacao (raw chocolate powder) is more than 3.5 times richer in antioxidant polyphenols than regular cocoa;
• Blueberries protect the brain against Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia;
• Goji berries are the richest source of antioxidant carotenoids of all known foods, as well as containing vitamin E (very rarely found in fruits) and beta-sitosterol, an anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering agent;
• Spinach is rich in protein, cancer-fighting phytochemicals, lutein to preserve eye health, cleansing chlorophyll, and blood-building iron; and
• Beetroot is brimming with cancer-fighting, cholesterol-lowering fibres and anti-oxidant compounds including betacyanin, the pigment that bestows beetroot’s rich, purple-crimson colour.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole raw cashews or almonds
3/4 cup plant milk
2 cups organic baby spinach
2 cups frozen strawberries or blueberries
2/3 cup dates, pitted
3 tablespoons cacao – raw chocolate, NOT cocoa – powder (available from health food shops)
2 tablespoons goji berries (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 raw beetroot, peeled

Method:

Blend nuts and plant milk until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend again until super-smooth and creamy.

May be eaten as a pudding or used as a dip for fresh fruit.