High Protein Chocolate Mousse
No protein powder in sight!
Move over Swiss-Miss, this is the elite pudding cup for the afternoon.
A topic I frequently cover is that while we don’t need to be oBsEsEd with our protein goal, prioritizing protein is still important. We can do this within the structure of a diet that is balanced overall- balanced meaning we include high-quality carbohydrates (and plenty of them… remember fruits and veggies are classified as carbohydrates), moderate amounts of quality fat, and adequate amounts of whole-food based protein.
Another thing I am sick of is hearing about high-protein snacks where the creator says
“You’ll never guess the secret ingredient in this high-protein soup!”
but I always can guess the secret ingredient. It’s a scoop of protein powder.
Protein powder is fine, but it is a supplement- not a food. It also doesn’t take care of all the reasons we want to eat a high protein diet (namely for weight management/weight loss). Curious what those reasons are? Let me lay them out for you…
We need the amino acids to repair tissues in our body, build hormones, and create new materials within the body. This one can be achieved with any complete protein. A complete protein is any protein source that contains all 9 essential amino acids (essential meaning our body can’t create them from other products, we need to eat them from external sources.)
Protein Powder fits the bill for this one, as do all whole-food protein sources which are complete
We prioritize protein because it is filling. It keeps us full for a longer period of time, meaning we don’t need to eat as frequently. This will reduce overall calorie consumption, which then reduces or maintains our body weight over time. Great! But if I am using a supplement, this is a highly processed “food” and it is digested rapidly because processing (to some extent) is simply "pre-digesting the food for you. What had to happen to that piece of beef to turn it into a chocolate powder? Well it had to be broken down many times over using processes that are impossible to achieve within our home kitchen- so my friend, that means protein powder is ultra-processed. Powders don’t keep us full.
We prioritize protein because it has a high thermic effect of food. This means digesting protein actually requires a lot of calories. Depending on the food, we are using 10-30% of the calories in the protein food itself just to digest the food. Digestion is not a passive process (you understand this if you have eaten a massive raw Kale salad, or a huge plate of BBQ and feel exhausted afterwards). If we use a protein powder (this includes bars and shakes) the food again is somewhat pre-digested so we aren’t harnessing the thermic effect of food, because these foods are assimilated extremely easily.
So there you have it- this is why we want to have a realistic protein goal that we can meet with mostly whole-food based protein. I like to give myself a little guideline or rule that I can use one protein supplement per day… and I usually don’t even need that.
I also want to point out, that if you’re a parent- this is a fantastic after-school snack for kids, and a great way to get them to eat tofu. My kids will not eat tofu if it looks anything like tofu.
On to the recipe…
High-Protein Chocolate Mousse
2 16-oz packages of silken tofu
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
a pinch of sea salt
2 shots of decaf espresso (optional)
Use a microwave-safe glass bowl to melt chocolate chips in 30 second to 1 minute increments.
Add all ingredients (including melted chocolate chips last) to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
Pour equally into 10 small dishes and cover.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to a week.
Top with your favorite toppings, berries, whipped cream, coconut cream, nutella, chocolate sauce, graham crackers, whatever floats your boat!
Nutrition information: For 10 servings (without toppings)
Each serving 223 calories, 14 g fat, 21 g carbs, 8 g protein.
Note: You could make this a higher-protein chocolate peanut butter mousse by omitting the espresso, and adding 1/2 cup of powdered peanut butter
Nutrition info: 247 calories, 14 g fat, 22 g carb, 10 g protein
Can’t wait to make this!