Chocolate, a beloved food among 99.9% of the population. And then there is me, just not a fan. I know I’m the oddball and slightly rare in form but the truth of the matter, I’d rather eat savory than sweet. But regardless I know I’m rare and that most of you love some chocolate in your normal day. So for all of my chocolate lovers (say I), I’ve created dark chocolate cherry yogurt bowls.
Breakfast, snack, lunch of whatever suits your fancy these yogurt bowls are jam-packed with super foods including chocolate.
GASP!
Wait, chocolate a super food?
Okay let’s be straight, it’s not like you’re eating kale but indeed chocolate does have some value. Unfortunately for most of us we just eat the wrong kinds. So to be crystal clear on this matter, the health benefits I’m going to present to you come from cacao powders, raw chocolates and dark chocolate.
NOT the preservatives, colorings, dairy and of course no colored candy shell, ahem. And this is exactly why nutrition advice gets confusing. Because we hear eat more chocolate, chocolate is good for you, it’s a good food to eat but what we must understand before moving on is that not all chocolate is created equal.
Not to mention consumable chocolate is most often paired with sugar and sugar is definitely not something we would recommend on a daily basis.
But don’t quit reading yet, chocolate is still in the picture.
Chocolate does indeed have many health related benefits, most of them coming from an active compound in cocoa (a.k.a. chocolate) called theobromine. Theobromine has been shown to act as a natural vasodilator (a.k.a. dilates your blood vessels allowing more blood flow and oxygen), a diuretic (helping to get rid of excess fluid) and a heart stimulant. Thus why we have often heard that chocolate can help reduce high blood pressure, increase heart health, lower cholesterol, decrease PMS symptoms and possibly increase mental focus.
Besides for theobromine, cocoa also has calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, manganese, zinc, caffeine and flavonoids.
When we line up that profile, full of lots of minerals, we can now begin to associate intense daily cravings with potential vitamin and mineral deficiencies, especially magnesium. Of course when your body signals chocolate most often you listen…more so at least than taking supplements. Am I right?
But fully true that these pesky daily cravings could be overcome with adding more minerals and vitamins to your diet and when the time comes grabbing the healthiest form of chocolate which always equates to being the less processed.
So the bottom line when it comes to chocolate is that yes, it does have nutritional value but (and that is a big but) only chocolate that is highest in quality and lowest in processing. Go ahead and sob, no more candy shell. I know, what are you going to do? I think we should start by embracing the fact that I just put health words in the same sentence as chocolate and run for the hills.
In all seriousness I understand that for the majority of the population you just need a little cocoa love in your life and thus why this beauty emerged. Yes, I did say it is appropriate for breakfast (I know your probably questioning everything about me. I’m just presenting the facts) so take your stab at it. Even if you don’t make the yogurt layer the smoothie alone is delicious!
But swirl that together with homemade 5 minute coconut chia spiced yogurt and top it with all of that crunch and you have yourself a decent snack or meal. What are you waiting for? Get it while it’s cold. In the meantime I’m going to go stuff me a potato… weird I know.
- 1 batch chai spiced 'yogurt'
- 2 cups cherries
- 1 cup milk (milk alternative)
- ½ cup ice
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 2 Tbsp almond butter
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Bee Pollen
- Cocoa Nibs
- Dry Oats
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Dark Cherries
- Chia Seeds
- Hemp Hearts
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Make chai spiced yogurt.
- In a blender add cherries, milk, ice, chia seeds, almond butter, cocoa powder, vanilla.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour on top of yogurt and add your favorite toppings.
- Enjoy!