Weight Loss Surgery Living Recipes – Decadent Chocolate that’s High in Protein; Too Good to Be True?

Here I am – 5 years post lap band surgery.  I have my routines.  I have my life, but sometimes I find myself bored with my food choices, which for me can be a dangerous place.  Sometimes I need to change it up, or find a few new staples to add to my list of lap band friendly food and recipes. 

Sandi, my lap band mentor, my friend, and co-founder of bandedliving.com came to Boston and stayed with me last week.  Each time we are together it’s a little like weight loss surgery bootcamp.  I find I follow the rules a little more closely because I have someone to do it with; extra camaraderie and support to help me get back to basics.  We did a grocery store run together.  Sandi had read an article in one of my magazines about chocolate Greek yogurt, so we searched the yogurt aisle for chocolate greek yogurt but had no luck.  Sandi is a chocolate lover.  Like my husband Sandi likes deep, rich, dark chocolate.  When it’s comes to chocolate, I’m more of a creamy, sweet milk chocolate kind of girl.  Just writing these descriptions make feel like I’m breaking some rules.

The next day we were still talking about the chocolate yogurt, so I had an idea.  Let’s make our own chocolate yogurt.  I took out my husband’s unsweetened cocoa from Trader Joe’s (20 cal/tablespoon), fat free Greek yogurt and some splenda  (recipe and technique below.)  It turns out that we made a deep, rich, creamy, decadent chocolate dessert/snack that is low in calories and high in protein. 

Ingredients

• ½ cup Greek yogurt (Kirkland)  (60 cal; 10 g protein)
• 1 T Trader Joes unsweetened cocoa powder  (20 cal; 1 g protein)
• Splenda to taste  (0 cal)
• Splash pure vanilla extract  (0 cal)
• Optional   ¼ cup fresh or frozen berries  (15 – 20 cal)

Measure yogurt and empty into bowl.  Add cocoa powder gradually, a bit at a time stirring vigorously.  ( I found the cocoa mixed well this way).  Add splenda to taste (probably 1 – 2 teaspoons) and stir.  If you choose, mix in or top with fresh or frozen berries.  Serve in a dessert bowl and savor a decadent chocolate treat with 11 grams of protein and 80 – 100 calories.

This recipe satisfied Sandi’s sweet tooth – a lover of dark, rich chocolate.  After tasting Sandi’s, I created a version for myself a sweeter milkier chocolate; I used about half of the cocoa powder and more splenda, then I folder in frozen mixed berries.   

This is definitely one of my new staples.  For me it’s a perfect solution for nighttime when I’m inevitably craving ice cream.  Satisfying my desire for something decadent (head hunger), while given my body protein to fend off physical hunger is the perfect solution for an evening snack.  Let me know if you try it.

Tagged as: greek yogurt recipes, lap band surgery recipes, weight loss surgery recipes