Hood Calorie Countdown Chocolate Pudding

My husband loves drinking cold milk with almost every meal, and the calories add up quickly. I was so happy when he discovered the Hood Calorie Countdown chocolate drink!

We’ve been trying to eat healthier: eating move fruits and vegetables, adding seeds and nuts to your diet, and trimming sugar and calories off of our every day meals.

This post was sponsored by Hood as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

How we’re using Hood Calorie Countdown

After being introduced to Hood Calorie Countdown drinks, we’ve been happily using them in lots of our daily meals.

I’m glad it’s so easy to find on my weekly shopping trip (we get it at Walmart in the dairy section). I’m also very thankful that it has fewer calories and less sugar than regular milk. We’ve been trying to eat healthier and lower our sugar and calorie intake (my hubby needs to lose a few pounds).

Here’s how I’ve been using this new discovery in my cooking.

I made smoothies: I especially liked this one made with the Hood Calorie Countdown chocolate.

We added Hood Calorie Countdown reduced fat to our mashed potatoes and LOVED the creamy smoothness of it!

I also made some homemade ice cream and used it in my soup instead of cream.

But my favorite is a healthy chocolate pudding with chia seeds for breakfast. I blended the Hood Calorie Countdown chocolate with chia seeds and a couple dates and left it overnight to gel. It’s so easy to make and a much better choice for breakfast than pop-tarts or strudel from the freezer. Yeah, I know! I’ve been known to sneak in some of these to calm my sweet tooth.

But now I can have chocolate pudding for breakfast: all the deliciousness without the extra calories and sugars. I like that a lot! Who wouldn’t LOVE to have chocolate for breakfast?

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Hood Calorie Countdown Chocolate Pudding

This delicious chocolate pudding is the best breakfast you'll ever have. Full of nutrients and fiber, but without the extra calories 😉

Prep Time 5 minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 5 dates pitted
• 2 cups Hood Calorie Countdown chocolate
• 2 tbsp chia seeds

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to your favorite high speed blender and blend until well mixed: 60 to 90 seconds, depending on your blender.
   

2. Pour mixture into a glass container and mix a couple time in the first half an hour to make sure it doesn't settle before it gels.
   

3. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (I prefer to leave it overnight and enjoy it as breakfast)

How long does this pudding last?

The chia pudding can last up to 5 days in the fridge, but it;s best if you eat it in the first couple days. It’s so easy to make, that we make it daily. And if you have kids, I promise you it won’t last long.

Variations for chia pudding

There are many variations of the chia pudding. The first big variation is to use the chia seeds whole instead of blended. Blending them makes the pudding smoother, but using them whole is great too (makes for a nicer presentation).

Here are some variations you might try. Add one or more of these:

• peanut butter
• almond butter
• different fruit: any kind of berries, mango, cherries, etc.
• vanilla
• cinnamon
• honey
• maple syrup

Hood Website: www.hood.com 

Want to give this new dairy beverage a try? I have a $.75 coupon off any Hood Calorie Countdown beverage here.