When I mention cacao to my clients, most of them will immediately associate it with having a “treat” – but did you know that cacao in its purest, raw, unprocessed form is actually an amazing superfood?
You heard right! So, let me take you through five good reasons to have cacao, and a couple of delicious ideas for you to try out during autumn/winter season. But first things first, what is the difference between cacao, cocoa and chocolate?
Raw Cacao: this is the raw, unprocessed form of chocolate. It comes from the beans of the Theobroma cacao tree, native of Central and South America. These beans are harvested, fermented and dried to make different cacao products.
You can find cacao in three main forms:
- Cacao nibs: crushed cacao beans, they are rich in nutrients and fibre, you can use them as a topping on overnight oats or smoothies as an example, or just as a snack.
- Cacao Powder: the result of grinding raw cacao beans and separating the fats (cacao butter), it contains more antioxidants, minerals and nutrients than processed cocoa.
- Cacao butter: The natural fat from Cacao beans. It is used to make chocolate, skincare products and more.
I have given you further information on the benefits and nutrients in cacao below, but hold your horses, let me first tell you about cocoa and chocolate so you can get the full picture.
Cocoa
This is the processed version of cacao. After cacao beans are fermented, dried and roasted, they are ground into a powder to make cocoa. The heat exposure can reduce some of the benefits, as it may destroy some of the antioxidants.
These types of products would also be considered more refined, as they can include added sugar and other ingredients. Sorry.
Normally you would have two forms:
• Natural cocoa powder: Less processed, often used in baking.
• Dutch-processed cocoa: treated with an alkaline solution to reduce acidity and create a smoother, milk flavour.
Chocolate: the final product made from cacao or cocoa, mixed with varying amounts of sugar, fats and sometimes milk. The type of chocolate made will depend on the ratio of cacao to other ingredients:
Dark Chocolate: typically has higher amounts of cacao (70% or more), meaning it is richer in antioxidants and lower in sugar than a milk chocolate. Not a bad choice.
Milk Chocolate: contains a lower percentage of cacao (often around 20-40%), with added milk and sugar, which makes it sweeter and creamier but of course, reduces its health benefits further.
White Chocolate: Not quite a “real” chocolate as it does not contain cacao solids – instead it’s cacao butter, sugar and milk- the result is a sweet, creamy product but none of the antioxidants you may find in darker chocolates.
All right then! Now that you know all about the difference between these three products, let’s get back to the leading man of our story: Raw Cacao.
What’s so special about it?
- Cacao is rich in antioxidants: here come the polyphenols, mainly flavanols in this case. Flavanols are compounds mainly found in plants with many health benefits such as being antioxidants (read anti-inflammatory), but also cardioprotective. As an example, cacao contains the flavanol epicatechin, amongst others, which some research has associated with better vascular function. Not bad ah?
- Cacao can support our mood: this delicious ingredient can interact with feel good neurotransmitters systems such as dopamine, serotonin and endorphins helping to lift your spirits, at least in the short term, which can be something to think about during the winter blues.
- It’s a natural energy boost: cacao contains a mild stimulant called theobromine, potentially boosting your energy and mental clarity. Just the thing you may need on cold, foggy mornings when we need to help getting started with our day!
- It’s Magnesium Rich: 100g of pure cacao may contain up to 499mg of Magnesium, a wonderful mineral involved in more than 300 chemical processes in our body, including energy production, blood sugar control, neurological functioning and immune support amongst others…
- It’s a source of Iron: it a source of moderately available iron, a much-needed mineral to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen around your body. Hence why when we are low in iron, we may feel fatigued or experience shortness of breath.
Are those enough reasons to get some raw cacao in your cupboard? Great! How about 2 recipes to get started with?
Brain Boosting Hot Chocolate
Ingredients (serves 1)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any milk of your choice!)
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch of sea salt
• 1 tsp maple syrup (or yacon syrup, if you are worried about spiking your blood sugar too much) – both optional but raw cacao can be very bitter!
Instructions:
• Grab a small pan and heat the milk over medium heat but do not bring to the boil.
• Whisk in cacao powder, cinnamon and sea salt.
• Add your sweetener and mix again
• Pour into your favourite mug and enjoy!
Choco Loco Smoothie
Ingredients (serves 1)
• 1 frozen banana chopped
• 1 handful spinach
• 1 tbsp almond butter or peanut butter
• 1 handful walnuts
• 2tsp cinnamon
• 1tbsp protein powder of choice (optional)
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• Half ripe avocado
• 1cup almond milk (or any other unsweetened plant milk)
Pop in your blender and whizz it up!
Before I go, I do need to let you know that if you do not enjoy cacao and prefer cocoa or
dark chocolate, that’s great too! As you have just read, you can get benefits from those types of products too.
But wait Valentina, what if I really cannot stand cacao or dark chocolate and reach bliss only with milk or white chocolate? Well, what I would say to that is that life is too short not have foods you enjoy, and that what makes a difference is what you do most of the time not every now and then. So as long as you focus on a nourishing diet 80% of the time, enjoy your milk chocolate now and then, and leave your feelings of guilt at home..
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