I was going to call this recipe "Purple Sweet Potato Prebiotic Protein Pudding" as it really is all of that, but that title was frankly ridiculous! Having said that, I AM going to toot my own horn here and say that this pudding ticks all the boxes when I make a new recipe: tasty, great texture, easy to make AND super nutritious.One of the criticisms of protein powder and protein bars/shakes/other protein-y products is that the protein powders are heavily processed and lacking any nutrients other than, you guessed it, protein!
Wholefoods found in nature are not isolated macronutrients like protein powder - they are a complex, synergistic meld of macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrate), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and, in the case of plant foods, phytonutrients (beneficial plant compounds). Hence the inclusion of the purple sweet potato in this recipe.
Additionally, many protein products contain dubious ingredients that don't have any health benefit whatsoever, such as soy lecithin - this is used as an emulsifier, but for some poor souls, consuming soy can result in painful acne.
So, what's a pragmatic nutritionist to do? Only create my own protein recipes that rectify the above issues!
With all that in mind, here is one of my favourite high protein recipes that I've made. It makes for a perfect on the go snack or can tide you over between meals. Or you may just like to sneak a spoonful whenever you fancy. I love to serve it with some berries or sliced mango.
Key highlights:
- A whopping 19g protein in each ⅓ C serve
- Low fat (don't shoot me, keto people!)
- A great on-the-go snack, no water to weigh it down like with protein shakes
- Quality carbs
- Easy to make
- No weird ingredients
- Prebiotic fibre and phytonutrients from the sweet potato
- Inexpensive
- Can be frozen and defrosted with no change to taste or texture
Please read the notes in the recipe itself for additional information.
Purple Sweet Potato Protein Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups 470g tightly packed pre-cooked purple sweet potato
- 2 cups 185g unflavoured or vanilla whey protein powder
- ⅓ cups 45g ground rolled oats or oat flour (subsitute with ¼ C dessicated coconut if desired)
- 2 US tablespoons 42g honey ((use more if you prefer a sweeter flavour)
- 2 teaspoons 5g vanilla essence
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup 43g chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients (except the pecans) together in the food processor until a pudding consistency is achieved.
- Remove from the food processor. Add in the chopped pecans and stir well.
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days. May also be frozen in individual portions in a muffin tray (grease first, use muffin cups or a silicon tray to prevent sticking
Notes
- Equipment: food processor, high speed blender or Thermomix
- I buy pre-cooked frozen purple sweet potatoes, peel and then measure the right amount. This recipe will also work with other sweet potato or pumpkin - if using pumpkin, additional protein powder or oat flour may be needed to balance out the extra water content of the pumpkin.
- Water can be added to the recipe if a less dense texture is desired.
- Makes 790g total
- 79g per serve (heaped ⅓C) = 10 serves of 187 calories each
- Macros per serve: 4g fat, 20g carbohydrate, 19g protein
- Feel free to use whatever protein powder you like, as long as it's either neutral or vanilla flavour
- Serve with whatever takes your fancy: nuts, berries, mango, chocolate
- Vegan option: use your fave neutral or vanilla vegan protein powder and replace honey with maple syrup
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