Chocolate Is Healthy

While we’re often told to steer clear of saturated fats, some of the saturated fat found in chocolate is actually not harmful and doesn’t raise cholesterol.   So does this make chocolate heart healthy?    Cocoa butter still contains fat and calories that can contribute to weight gain.  So much of healthy chocolate consumption depends on how it is consumed. Here’s what Cooking Light suggests when it comes to having your chocolate and eating it too.

“Some researchers argue, however, that, regardless of stearic acid, chocolate is still a high-fat, high-calorie food. Small amounts can be worked into a healthy diet, but large quantities aren’t a recipe for good health, particularly when you consider how many Americans are overweight, says Penn State University nutritionist Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D. She suggests a leaner way to get that chocolate fix: Opt for cocoa, the powder formed when cocoa beans are ground and stripped of cocoa butter.”

Healthy Chocolate? – CookingLight.com.

The Washington Post recently asked several nutrition experts what they see as the best ingredients to keep in your kitchen that will have positive long-term health effects.

The list include:

• fresh or frozen blueberries
• broccoli and other dark greens
• quinoa
• sardines
• and of course, cacao!

Here’s why cacao made the list of the most healthy foods to incorporate into your diet.

“You’ll often see dark chocolate turn up on “superfood” lists because it contains blood-pressure-lowering plant phenols and loads of antioxidants. Cacao, or raw chocolate, is even better because it lacks sugar and other additives. Though bitter, the whole beans or nibs can be eaten plain. In its powder form, cacao can be mixed into a smoothie or pancake batter, making it taste much like the guilty pleasure we all know and love.”

Nutrition experts recommend healthful must-haves for your kitchen – washingtonpost.com.

Eat.Drink.Better posted this amazing raw chocolate truffle recipe, made from nut pulp (from making nut milk), raw nut or seed butter, raw cacao powder, raw agave nectar, vanilla, salt and some shredded coconut.   Raw chocolate truffles make a wonderful dessert to enjoy at home, or package up an assortment and give them as gifts to both vegans and non-vegans.  They’re fun and easy to make and can be stored in the freezer.

Raw Chocolate Truffles : Eat. Drink. Better..

This interesting article from Smithsonian magazine discusses the early uses of chocolate and when it may have originated.  Some suggest it was chocolate was used and consumed up to three or four thousand years ago in what is now Central America.

“It’s hard to pin down exactly when chocolate was born, but it’s clear that it was cherished from the start. For several centuries in pre-modern Latin America, cacao beans were considered valuable enough to use as currency. One bean could be traded for a tamale, while 100 beans could purchase a good turkey hen, according to a 16th-century Aztec document.”

The article also includes some little-known facts about chocolate.  For example, did you know that chocolate was part of U.S. soldiers’ rations during the Revolutionary War and was also given in lieu of wages?  (I love chocolate, but would still prefer the paycheck).

A Brief History of Chocolate | Smithsonian Magazine

David Wolfe is, among other things, an inspiring speaker, eco-friendly business owner, gourmet chocolatier and superfood expert. In this video,  Wolfe gives you two and a half minutes jam packed with information on cacao and the health benefits of chocolate.