Chocolate Is A Healthy Bite !

Sorry to break the news, but chocolate isn’t exactly salad but it’s not all bad either!

Cacao is good for you – if you are eating darker chocolate. Milk chocolate has less cacao and more sugar.

Chocolate (cacao) is filled with antioxidants. Your body needs antioxidants to fight free radicals – those nasty, damaging molecules that cause the signs of aging.

A 100 gram bar of dark chocolate has the same antioxidant properties as spinach, kale, Brussel sprouts and prunes (in the same quantity).

To maximize the benefits of dark chocolate, choose the highest quality chocolate available at 65% cacao or higher, with the least amount of sugar and additives (like vegetable oil or a fat other than cocoa butter).

The news gets even better – scientists believe that the antioxidant compounds called catechins in cacao improve lean muscle mass and reduce fat.

Cacao also contains a decent amount of soluble fiber and is loaded with minerals.

A 100 gram bar of dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contains:

11 grams of fiber
67% of the RDA for Iron
58% of the RDA for Magnesium
89% of the RDA for Copper
98% of the RDA for Manganese
It also has potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.

While we can’t pretend chocolate is salad – we can feel good about eating a piece every day!