Yes, you heard correctly- RAW. And ORGANIC! As if one wasn't good enough! This stuff is USDA certified organic and also is raw, basically meaning that it hasn't been processed or messed with too much. It's just the raw goodness that chocolate should be. Also, they get their cacao from small, sustainably run family farms in the rainforests of the Dominican Republic, which is then processed (minimally! Remember, it's raw) in an FDA approved facility.
Also, it should be mentioned that cacao actually has a ton of health benefits! You probably have heard this before, especially as of late, as people have been getting a bit more crazy on the healthy chocolate wagon. Of course, this doesn't mean that you can eat a Hershey's bar and think that you're eating something healthy. Absolutely not, that stuff is uber processed and packed with sugar. Rather, non-processed, raw cacao such as this stuff is full of antioxidants and minerals, such as copper, magnesium, potassium, and iron. Consuming raw cacao in moderation has been shown to improve cholesterol, insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, diabetes, and even help prevent cardiovascular disease! Magical, I tell ya.
Like I said, I was absolutely stoked when Freedom Superfoods sent me a bag of their yummy chocolate stuff.. but I was also a little confused. I would lay awake at night tossing and turning, wondering "oh, but just how will I use said cacao powder?!" Just kidding... but I did have to put some thought into it. Fortunately, when you order their cacao powder online, they're sweet enough to send you a cute little e-recipe book, filled with all sort of different recipes from raw cacao muffins to fudge brownies. I also found this cool link from the Mother Nature Network called "5 Ways to Add Raw Cocoa Powder To Your Diet," which will give you all sorts of ideas.
I'm not much of a baker, but I am becoming a bit of a smoothie freak.. so, voila, there we have it. Cacao powder in my smoothies every day!? YUM!!! Here's what my recipe consisted of:
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 banana, sliced (can be frozen or room temp)
- 1/2 avocado (adds a creamy texture plus a decent amount of protein)
- 1 cup milk of your choice (I prefer unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
- 1 tbsp raw honey (or sweeten to taste)
- Pinch of sea salt
Of course, you can adjust the ingredients to your liking, but I found this to be sooo good. I had to stop myself from chugging it!
I would definitely, definitely recommend treating yourself to a bag of this raw cacao powder. You can get a 16 oz bag for under $16 right here on amazon and they'll send you your free e-book less than a day after that! Hollaaaaaaaa. Chocolate lovers, rejoice!
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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers... and who wouldn't recommend chocolate!?
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