I'm a big fan of raw cacao and so don't need much encouragement to add it to baking, desserts and smoothies. You can buy it at many health food shops and online either as whole beans, a ground powder or as cacao nibs (which are broken pieces of cacao bean).
Here's a recipe that we have anytime really - at breakfast, for a mid-afternoon snack or as a post-workout recovery blend.
Ingredients (Serves 2):
- 1 cup frozen berries (e.g. cherries, blueberries or blackberries)
- 1 banana
- 1 handful of nuts (pistachios, cashews or almonds)
- 2 dessertspoons cacao powder
- 1 dessertspoon cacao nibs
- 2 cups milk, almond (or other nut) milk or filtered water
- For a post workout recovery blend add a scoop of protein powder such as Hemp or Sunwarrior Complete Blend.
Blend for 1 minute. Serve and enjoy.
Here are some of the benefits:
- Berries are good antioxidants and so can help to reduce disease in the body.
- Cacao provides a natural energy boost and so aids alertness. It is also a powerful antioxidant and has many benefits for cardiovascular health.
- Nuts are a great source of energy, fibre, minerals and 'good' fats. that raw nuts and it is said that their nutrients are more easily absorbed by the body.
Tip:
Nuts are much easier to digest soaked than raw so, for extra digestive benefits you can soak them for 2 hours or overnight in warm water. Add the water you have soaked them in to the smoothie too!