Cacao

Hearing that chocolate was a superfood was probably the best news ever, for a chocaholic like me. But it’s cacao – not Twix bars – that’s the superfood here. After hearing that glorious news, I’ve starting using cacao nearly every day. It helps to achieve the most decadent dark chocolate taste in raw desserts, hot chocolate, smoothies, brownies, baking, bliss balls, and so much more.

  • Cacao comes from the seed of the Theobroma tree’s cacao beans. To make raw cacao, the beans are dried at a low temperature and can then be consumed whole, cut into cacao nibs, or ground up into cacao powder. This low temperature and minimal processing ensires that many of their key nutrients and antioxidants are kept in tact. The beans can also be processed beyond recognition at a high temperature, mixed with tons of refined sugars, and shaped into candy bars. Yikes.
  • Cacao beans are incredibly high in antioxidants, specifically flavonoids. These antioxidants help to neutralize free radicals in your body and keep your cells happy.
  • Cacao delivers a hefty amount of nutrients including magnesium, iron, and zinc.
  • Cacao contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid required to produce serotonin – which helps elevate your mood and make you happy.

Vegukate Tips:

You can purchase cacao nibs and cacao powder at health food stores and online. I store mine in airtight containers in the pantry where they’ll keep for 6 months – if they last that long! Purchase organic cacao if possible.