Health Benefits From Dark Chocolate; Cacao Chocolates; Cocoa Powders; There’s a Way to Have You’re Chocolate and Eat it too!

Dark chocolate has a way of getting into the hearts of many people, especially during holidays, such as Valentine’s Day, Sweetest Day, and Easter. Besides its extraordinary taste, we were made to believe that dark chocolate has amazing health benefits. In September, I wrote a small blog pertaining to nutrition facts of chocolate. I decided to issue my first video on the various types of cocoa powder and cacao chocolates. I put different types of chocolates into three categories, ranging from being poor choices to super choices that contain raw benefits from real cacao.

1.      Poor choices:

Hershey’s Special Dark and Ghirardelli Intense Dark are not only high in calories but also loaded with sugar and saturated fats. Both offer very little in the way of fiber and protein. These are dark chocolates to avoid.

2.      Acceptable choices:

Baker’s Semi-Sweet and Toll House Bittersweet chocolate are very low in calories, saturated fat, and sugar. Both offer a trace of fiber and protein. Lindt Excellence is high in calories and saturated fat but contains very little sugar. It has a lot more protein and fiber as all the previous dark chocolates and has 90% cocoa. Cocoa has been processed and isn’t the same as raw cacao. These are dark chocolates to eat for an occasional treat.

3.      Super choices

Dagoba organic cacao powders and  raw organic cacao nibs are very low in calories and contain no sugars. Both contain fiber and protein and are 100 % cacao but are very bitter tasting. Creativity, such as adding cacao powders and cacao nibs to oatmeal, smoothies, and Greek yogurts accompanied with raw honey or Medjool dates reduces the bitterness. Cacao powders have the most health benefits.

Conclusion:

Dark chocolate and health benefits come from cacao and not from the dark chocolates rich in sugar. If you should have an occasional craving for dark chocolate, make sure to choose one that has a higher percent of cacao and a lower amount of sugar to curb your sweet tooth. It is still possible to enjoy an occasional piece of dark chocolate and keep the calories, saturated fats, and sugars to a minimum.