I grew up eating those puddings in a cup and every once in awhile I would make some from scratch from a box.

Boy was that pudding tasty!

It Was Killing Me Slowly

The problem is that the pudding I used to enjoy wasn’t really food at all. It was just a combination of sugar and chemicals that my body didn’t recognize. Those ingredients caused my cells to go haywire and get sicker and sicker.

Here’s what’s in a box of Jell-O Pudding (taken right from their website -August 2018):

INGREDIENTS: SUGAR, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE (FOR THICKENING), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, TETRASODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE (FOR THICKENING), SALT, ARTIFICIAL COLOR, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES (PREVENTS FOAMING), RED 40, YELLOW 5, BLUE 1, BHA (PRESERVES FRESHNESS)

There are 72 grams of sugar in a package of this pudding- which is 18 grams per serving! It’s equivalent is a whopping 17 teaspoons of refined, GMO sugar in this pudding! Oh-no! No, this is just not ok.
When the first ingredient in something is sugar (let alone GMO sugar), you’re never going to want to put it in your mouth if you want to regain your health and prevent disease! That’s the first warning.
Secondly, modified cornstarch is mentioned which is GMO. Read about the inflammation corn can cause in your body. Furthermore, it’s modified to become more gelatinous which will further inflame a damaged gut.
Disodium phosphate is a moderate concern for health, especially for people with kidney issues and heart problems. (1)
Artificial (and Natural) Flavor is a HUGE problem. Artificial means that your body will not recognize it and be able to metabolize it. Instead, these chemicals will damage your cells and alter their function. They have also been found to exacerbate behavioral problems. You can read more about these in one of my favorite books. Here is an excellent chart comparing natural and artificial flavors (there’s not much difference.)
Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate can accelerate aging and mortality and the EWG has noted this is an ingredient to avoid.
Red, Yellow and Blue Dye which are made from petroleum and contaminated with carcinogens, linked to hyperactivity and they are neurotoxic and often contaminated with round-up. Honestly, these should be outlawed here. It boggles my mind that they’re not.
BHA is linked to cancer and banned in many countries.

Now before you go on thinking, I am blaming the unhealthy state that my body was in solely on pudding, I want to clarify. These types of ingredients are in ALL processed ‘foods.’ The frankenfoods are engineered to taste a certain way and resemble what we think the food might taste like. Don’t believe me, educate yourself further with this epic book!

Making a Real Food, Wholesome Pudding

It’s totally possible to make an epic, whole food pudding that doesn’t have even one of those toxic ingredients I mentioned above. One of the things I love about this pudding is that it has veggies in it and you can’t even tell! When you have a sweet tooth and are craving chocolate, this is definitely a dessert you’re going to want to make because it will satisfy AND nourish your body.

You’ve got to try it!

Let’s Talk About the Whole Food Ingredients I Use

Of course, we all know that pudding is a dessert. And, desserts are reserved for special occasions. So this is not a recipe you’re going to want to make every day. Instead, enjoy it for fun times like movie nights, or when company comes over or even a game night. It should yield 3-4 servings.

Plantains are a wonderful addition to a whole food diet. I like to use them both ripe and unripe for various recipes.
Organic Coconut Milk is a staple in my house. I get it for the cheapest price here. I LOVE that it only has two ingredients and gets delivered to my door!
Avocados are great for adding healthy fat to the smoothie to help the unrefined sugars digest slower and prevent insulin spikes in your blood sugar.
Kale is a superfood that is a wonderful addition to a whole food diet. Be sure to buy it organically as it is on EWG’s Dirty Dozen list which means non-organic is coated with herbicides and pesticides.
Pitted Medjool Dates are a rockstar way to sweeten your foods and boost vitamin and mineral levels.
Collagen Peptides are something that I enjoy in my food and drink every single day, If I am not putting it in my morning tea, then it goes into my smoothies. They are great for smoother, softer hair and skin as well as strengthening nails and healing the gut and damaged joints.
Organic Cocoa Powder is something I always buy fair trade and organic. Cocoa is often sourced using child slave labor and buying fair trade ensures that there were no child slaves involved. Furthermore, buying organic ensures that your cocoa will not be contaminated with heavy metals, or herbicides and pesticides.
I also want you to note, that you can only make this with a high powered blender. If you try it with an Oster or Nutri Bullet or something like that, it will not blend the ingredients enough to make a smooth and creamy pudding. We have owned this high powered blender for over 20 years and use it almost every day!

Whole Food Cream Chocolate Banana Pudding Recipe

4.0 from 1 reviews

Whole Food Creamy Chocolate Banana Pudding

Author: Jennifer @ www.feastingonjoy.com

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 4

A delectable and rich chocolate banana dessert made with whole food ingredients.

Ingredients

1 Ripe Plantain
1 Ripe Banana
¾ C. Organic Coconut Milk
1½ Avocado, pitted and peeled
2 Big Pieces Organic Kale, stalk removed
1 Medium Organic Carrot, peeled and chopped into 2-inch chunks
4 Dried Medjool Dates, pitted
2 Tlbs. Collagen Peptides (see post for my favorite brand)
3 Tlbs. Organic, Fair Trade Cocoa Powder

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend on high until combined and smooth and creamy.
Serve in four individual pudding cups.
**To make it taste even better, refrigerate it for at least 2 hours before eating.

Choose Whole Food

I know it’s easier to pick up a pack of pre-made pudding in a cup rather than chop a few veggies and measure out ingredients. However, this recipe is quick and simple to make and I can honestly, tell you that it will be a lot harder down the road when your body is wrecked from processed food ingredients and you will be really inconvenienced going to the doctor and feeling terrible all the time.

Make an investment in your body by feeding it nourishing foods that make your cells happy!