A Nutritionist's Favorite Dessert
Whether you’re trying to lose weight, improve cholesterol levels, boost energy, support your memory or have an alternative health goal, cutting sugar is one of the first dietary approaches to consider. Sugar is highly addictive, inflammatory and linked to diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
But eating only veggies and protein for the rest of your life is incredibly boring and unsustainable–am I right?! If you crave a little something sweet but want to stay on track towards reaching your goals, I recommend turning to high-quality DARK CHOCOLATE.
Incredibly satisfying and packed with fiber, magnesium and antioxidants, dark chocolate is a heart-healthy treat that’s known for boosting dopamine, a feel-good brain chemical. As a busy Nutritionist with a sweet tooth, I personally include a few squares of dark chocolate around 2pm every single day. This helps curb my later-day sugar cravings and reignites my energy and brain power when I naturally tend to hit my mid-afternoon slump.
When sourcing, it’s important to look for at least 70% cacao content, organic, low sugar and soy-free dark chocolate. Cacao is raw, pure, unadulterated dark chocolate–the higher the percentage of cacao, the higher concentration of antioxidants and less sugar it will contain. The USDA certified organic label ensures that you are not intaking the chemical-laden fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides found in conventional chocolate (a heavily sprayed crop). While these call-outs will be on the front of your bar, always turn to the ingredient label for a final check. I recommend choosing a bar with less than 7g sugar per serving and no soy lecithin. Soy is a top GMO crop that’s linked to hormone imbalance when consumed in excess.
Here are my favorite dark chocolate bars*:
Theo 85% cacao - fair trade, velvety smooth and containing just 4g sugar per serving, this is my daily go-to!
Taza Wicked Dark - this 95% cacao content dark chocolate bar is made from just 2 ingredients (organic cacao beans and organic cane sugar), contains 2g sugar and a whopping 8g fiber per serving. It’s bitter and bold with a slightly gritty texture (due to the Mexican chocolate-making tradition of stone grinding), but I absolutely LOVE it.
Alter Eco Classic Blackout - smooth and creamy, this bar is 85% cacao and fair-trade. Plus, the company has a great mission to convert man-made monoculture cacao fields into biodiverse forests–support them by buying these bars.
Evolved Signature Dark - paleo, vegan and made with one of my top 3 favorite natural sweeteners (coconut sugar), this 72% cacao dark chocolate bar is ethically sourced, lower in calories than most bars on the market and incredibly clean.
Hu - perhaps one of the best tasting bars I’ve come across, I make a slight exception to indulge in this bar every now and again as it does contain 9g sugar per serving. But, I will say, the quality is there–and you can TASTE the difference. Each bar is made with cacao (not cocoa, the processed, less nutrient-dense form of dark chocolate), coconut sugar and organic, fair-trade cocoa butter. Plus, Hu Kitchen’s 70% cacao treats are house-ground, aka made in a traditional way that retains their nutritional properties.
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*Note: all are USDA certified organic and gluten, dairy and soy free!
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