Giving in: The Dessert Dilemma

I'm addicted to Sugar. It's a thing. It's not like I add table sugar to everything I eat (in fact, you'll notice on my Overnight Oatmeal recipe, there is no additional sugar added- yay me!), but the struggle is real. The main culprit: doughs and batters. Cookie dough, peanut butter bar dough, cake batter, brownie batter. All DELICIOUS.  Last week I made Cake-Cookie dough with the intention of baking them and taking them to neighbors. Didn't happen. No cookies were baked.

One trick that I have found that helps satisfy my need for sweet (fruit usually doesn't cut it when I want that desserty-sugary-sweetness feeling) is sugar-free, fat-free pudding. It works. It sooo works.

Also how they have so many delicious flavors. I love vanilla, pistachio, butterscotch (heaven help me), and chocolate. Sometimes when I make the chocolate pudding it gets this awesome kind of skin on top that tastes a lot like chocolate cake batter. It's awesome. And delicious.

Best part? When made with skim milk, it's 70 calories for 1/2 cup. AKA 140 calories for 1 cup (because let's be real- you're not going to eat just 1/2 cup). Compare this to 150 calories for 1/2 cup of ice cream (if you are lucky!) and 140 calories for one cookie. Pudding is the gift that keeps on giving- without giving you extra inches around your waistline. Note: do NOT make with almond milk. Just don't.

I'm not one to tell you to cut out your desserts- I don't work that way. Also I will probably always eat cookie dough if it's available. But pudding is a great way to save a few calories!