Health
Love Chocolate? These 6 Healthy Recipes Let You Enjoy It at Every Meal
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Chocolate has been a favorite treat for more than 3,500 years, likely dating back to a civilization that predates the Aztecs and Mayans in southern Mexico, notes Smithsonian Magazine.
There’s evidence that these ancient people used cacao beans to make a rich beverage, which wasn’t generally sweetened, but may have been seasoned with various herbs and spices, lending all of chocolate’s health benefits without any of the added sugar.
Today, it’s more difficult to find chocolate in its pure form, although research has found that health benefits still abound in this beloved food. That’s mostly due to the high levels of antioxidants found in dark chocolate, which may help improve heart health, brain and immune function, and even decrease stress, notes Johns Hopkins Medicine.
You’ll find the greatest health benefits in chocolate with a cacao percentage of 70 percent or more.
In addition to its more traditional health benefits, chocolate has long been thought of as an aphrodisiac. According to McGill University, chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a chemical compound known to induce feelings of excitement and euphoria and affectionately referred to as the “chemical of love.”
While a lot of people enjoy snacking on chocolate bars or candies, or baking with chocolate chips, there are plenty of ways to add chocolate to recipes both sweet and savory. In general, the darker and less processed the chocolate product, the more health benefits it will have to offer.
To make chocolate, cacao beans are fermented and roasted, at which point they become known as cacao nibs, the rawest form of cocoa, according to the International Cocoa Organization.
The nibs are crushed into a paste and separated into cocoa butter and solids. The solids become cocoa powder. The paste can also be mixed with sugar or milk to form chocolate bars or other treats. The amount of cocoa in a bar is its cocoa percentage, and the higher the number, the more health benefits it has.
You can even enjoy cacao nibs on their own. They lend a light crunch and slightly bitter and earthy flavor when sprinkled on a bowl of yogurt, granola, or trail mix, and contain a decent amount of fiber and protein, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Whatever form of chocolate you use, keep an eye on portion size — 1 ounce (generally the size of one square) is considered a serving. No matter how (or when) you enjoy your chocolate, you’re sure to reap the health benefits and enjoy every bite of it! Here are five recipes that will allow you to enjoy chocolate any time of day.
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