Sweetheart Treats

2 min read

Correlation does not always mean causation — but in the case of food and health, our experts overwhelmingly agree that what you eat definitely has a direct effect on your health. As Dr. Roshini Malaney, Cardiologist of Manhattan Cardiology recently told Real Simple, “The foods that we eat can either increase or decrease the risk of heart disease.” The article continues to talk about 10 Top Heart-Healthy Foods You’ll Love Eating which include Oatmeal, Salmon, Avocado, Olive Oil, Nuts, Legumes, Berries, Spinach, Flaxseed, and Soy, as well as why they are so good for your heart health. 

Combining this with the scientific insights we got from Dr. Sharde Harvey of Upper East Dental Innovations about kissing & chocolate — we’ve asked another lovely expert within our LabFinder network, Ms. Leah Silberman, Registered Dietician of Wellhaus Health how we could combine some of these heart healthy foods for a sweet treat this Valentine’s Day — and boy, did she deliver! If you’re looking for a delicious heart-healthy dessert to whip up tonight (or this weekend, or whenever) go ahead and give this a try! 

Ingredients (serves 2):

  • 1/2 ripe avocado
  • 1 and 1/2 ripe banana, preferably frozen
  • 3 tablespoons organic cocoa powder (Leah uses Navitas Organics) 
  • 1/2 cup organic raspberries
  • 3/4 cup organic soy milk (Leah uses WestSoy)
  • 1 scoop vegan vanilla protein powder (Leah uses Garden of Life)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 dashes of cinnamon (or more!)
  • May add toppings like unsweetened coconut flakes or cacao nibs

 

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients except for the raspberries (and any other desired toppings) in a blender. Blend on high for about 30 seconds, or until ingredients appear mixed and uniform. Contents should be smooth. 

Separate pudding into different cups for serving. If you’d like to eat a colder pudding, place in the freezer for 30-45 minutes before serving. Top with raspberries as seen above, and other desired toppings. 

Serve and enjoy!