Hi everyone,
Here’s a guilt-free hot chocolate recipe which is made from wholesome ingredients, and is perfect to have before, during or after your shift. The only thing worth mentioning is that it does contain cacao which has traces of caffeine, so best not to have it close to bedtime, as it may interfere with your sleep.
This hot chocolate recipe is such a great alternative to the highly refined and processed ‘hot chocolate powders’ that we see on supermarket shelves, one of which being Cadbury’s Drinking Chocolate which contains the following:
Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Starch (Maize or Tapioca), Mineral Salt (501), Flavour and Cocoa Solids.
Note that Mineral Salt (501) is actually potassium carbonate which, in large amounts, can cause abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Not great for shift workers who are already prone to gastrointestinal complaints!
On the other hand, raw cacao powder contains flavonoids, a naturally occurring antioxidant found in plant-based foods which have shown to be cardio-protective. It does this by inhibiting the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol); suppressing the formation of platelets, which are small blood cells which can clump together and form blood clots; along with helping to regulate the degree of constriction of small blood vessels, which can lead to high blood pressure.
So don’t ever feel guilty about having chocolate. On the contrary, historical evidence shows that just like I mentioned above, chocolate has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal benefits.
It just comes down to the quality of the chocolate, along with the quantity.
Guilt Free Hot Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of almond milk
1 Tablespoon of nut butter (almond, macadamia or cashew)
1 Organic Medjool date
1 Tablespoon raw cacao powder
1 Teaspoon organic vanilla essence-extract
Method
Throw everything into a food processor until smooth, then transfer to a saucepan and warm until heated through. Drink straight away, or pop into a pre-heated thermos for the perfect hot chocolate treat at work.
Trust me, you’ll be the envy of all your chocolate-addicted shift working colleagues when you sit down to drink this.
After all, life’s too short not to have chocolate isn’t it?!
Audra x
Reference:
Galleano ,M, Oteiza, P & Fraga, C 2009, ‘Cocoa, chocolate and cardiovascular disease’, Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, vol. 54, no. 6, pp. 483-490.
