Chocolate Lovers - The Darker the Healthier

Hey guys!  It's Dylan Richards here with another installment of Dylan's Lunchbox! Who doesn’t love chocolate? The Cocoa bean has a number of health benefits, and depending on what chocolate you eat, this treat can leave you feeling absolutely no guilt.

The cocoa bean is known to help with your cardiovascular system because of something called bioflavonoids, a plant based micronutrient in the bean. There are different colors of chocolate, and each strain is entirely different in nutritional value.  The more cocoa that the chocolate has, the healthier it is.

The least healthy of the three is white chocolate, which is made using extra milk/cream and sugar. Next, is milk chocolate. Milk chocolate is also made up of large amounts of sugar and dairy products. The most nutritious chocolate, the most natural of all, is dark chocolate. The higher the percentage of cocoa bean in the chocolate, the better. Try and go for 70% cocoa which is still sweet and not too bitter.

Dipping fruit into dark chocolate is a great healthy dessert option. Strawberries, my all-time favorite, are amazing when dipped in hot dark chocolate fudge. Pineapples, bananas, and peaches also taste delightful when dipped in dark chocolate.