Who doesn’t like chocolate?

After going on a chocolate frenzy last winter, I was destined to find an alternative to this delicious treat! I mean c’mon, if chocolate hadn’t any calories, I’d be all for devouring these little bars every second of every day. But since chocolate isn’t so hot in the nutritional field, I began searching for a different treat. Oddly enough, I was in Homegoods when I came across my new favorite cocoa treat!

cacao

Cacao nibs are little chocolate pieces that are absolutely delicious. These babies are perfect for pouring over parfaits, cookies, oatmeal- anything that needs some flavor! They are exactly like chocolate chips, except healthy. That’s what I like to hear! I use cacao nibs for all types of cooking, and I have learned that cacao has so many health benefits as well.

Cacao nibs are filled with fiber, whereas, chocolate has no fiber. One ounce of these nibs have 9 grams of fiber. The nibs are also filled with iron. An ounce of the raw cacao nibs gives you 6% of our daily fiber needed. Raw cacao beans are also full of antioxidants, which are important for absorbing bad things in our bodies! Cacao nibs act on our neurotransmitters as mood enhancers! The nibs release neurotransmitters to our brains that relay happy hormones. Cacao nibs trigger happy emotions. Who doesn’t love a good that makes us happy and tastes delicious? Cacao nibs also release a hormone called Phenylethylamine that causes an increase in our heart rate. This makes us feel more alert and focused! Cacao also contains Theobromine which acts like caffeine. Clearly, cacao is a better choice. Don’t ya think?

Obviously, cacao nibs are excellent for our health and for our taste buds. With these tiny little chocolates, your taste buds will do the happy dance.

 

Sources:

photo by: www.beyondthegrape.com

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-nutrition-of-cocoa-nibs.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/08/02/cacao-nibs_n_3695571.html

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/933596/2

3 thoughts on “Who doesn’t like chocolate?

  1. Valerie Ortense

    I would like to take this moment to thank you for helping me find my way through life. I eat chocolate every single day as often as i can get my hands on it. I have also never been this weight ever before in my entire life. So if you are saying this is healthy, I will have to give it a try. here are some other healthy foods to replace those seriously calorie filled treats.
    http://www.associatesdegree.com/2010/11/16/100-healthy-study-snacks-you-should-reach-for-instead/

  2. Xiaotong Wang

    I want to say it first that I love chocolate so much! I love it since I was a kid, and that is the reason why I looked like a meal ball when I was 7. That’s great that people finally find something with low calories to replace chocolate, but since it’s so good and has so much advantages to human, why I never hear it before? And, isn’t that true that chocolate is made by cacao too? The calories chocolate have is maybe just because there’s too much sugar in it. And there’s not much sugar in your cacao nib, so it can help us achieve our plan to lose weight? Plus, if people who really love chocolate-like me, during losing weight, can try some dark chocolate-less sugar, less weight added.

  3. Nick Jacoubs

    I’m currently on a meal plan that restricts the amount of carbs and calories I consume each day, so this blog is especially interesting. I have never heard of cacao nibs before. What I’d like to know about this seemingly super-food is the specifics of it’s nutritional facts. What is a typical serving size of nibs? How much calories/carbs/sugar/protein can be found in a serving. This information would prove extremely helpful to me, and maybe bring to start consuming these healthy food boosters.

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