More Pumpkin Goodness: High-Protein Pumpkin Pudding

Have you ever noticed that once you apply new rules of eating that the first few days are a bit challenging? After the Detox I managed to stick to some basic rules of eating, such as little to no dairy, no grains other than 1-2 slices of bread per day, minimal alcohol (as I'm a cheap drunk now with a low tolerance), very limited fruit, and keeping sugar at bay. I feel great when my diet is clean, but when I have sugar I feel awful. My body is very clear about what it likes and what it doesn't and I intend to keep listening to it.

About a year ago Well & Good NYC interviewed me for a piece called "Refrigerator Look Book". Here's a look at my fridge back then.

It's quite interesting to see how my diet has changed in the past year and my fridge looks a bit different now. I've gone from being a vegetarian/pescetarian for more than 15 years to eating meat. When I told my mom that I started eating meat again she was speechless and excited at the same time that I'd be finally living up my Germanness again. In fact she reminded me of a very special kind of sausage that I apparently used to take to kindergarten with me as a snack - go figure! I'm sure I'll get it a very special care package under the X-mas tree this year :-)

I have pretty much eliminated dairy and have gone from having cheese every day to rarely eating it at all. The one thing that hasn't changed is my veggie intake. I need them more than anything else in my diet. They provide me with the satiation I need to keep full and energized without overloading my body with too many carbs. 

In an effort to create snacks that are filling, contain enough protein to keep my blood sugar balanced, and are low in carbs I've been playing around with various concoctions of protein shakes to bowls full of veggies to plain old guacamole and other dips. I recently made this very tasty high protein pumpkin pudding. It tastes much better than it sounds. Here's what you need:

• 1/2 can organic pumpkin
• 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt (non-fat or 2%)
• 1/2 scoop whey protein powder (I use Bluebonnet's Whey Protein Isolate - French Vanilla
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together until smooth and add cinnamon to taste. This is the perfect snack if you're looking to build muscle, fill up on fiber and keep carbs at bay. It's creamy, smooth and filling because you're getting about 6 grams of fiber with 1/2 can of pumpkin. 

Nutrition facts for 1 serving:

Carbs: 26 grams (of which 6 grams are fiber, so only 20 grams of carbs will impact your blood sugar)

Protein: 31 grams

Fat: 0 grams (if you use non-fat)

Enjoy!