Even though chocolate is typically thought of as a dessert, there’s no reason why it should just be limited to sweets. Aside from tasting delicious, it’s chock-full of benefits. And no one knows that better than Jessica Alba’s nutritionist, who never shies away from using the ingredient in her healthy morning smoothie mixes.
Kelly LeVeque, the holistic nutritionist behind Be Well By Kelly, has a long list of celebrity clients who love her Fab Four Smoothies. While there are plenty of different combos to try, it’s hard to beat the double dark chocolate option she recently shared on Instagram. Instead of using cocoa—which is commonly seen at grocery stores in the baked goods aisle—she prefers cacao, which is leaps and bounds better for your health.
“Cacao is made by cold-processing unroasted cacao beans or low-heat processing, making it the most bitter, while cocoa powder is cacao that has been roasted at high temperatures and is least bitter. Bitter can mean better when it comes to phytochemicals,” she writes. “It increases insulin sensitivity, is rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium, and zinc, acts as a mood booster, and has the most polyphenols (anthocyanidins and epicatechins).”
There’s an important reason she makes sure her chocolate smoothies are plant-based, too. According to LeVeque, you’re better able to reap the benefits of chocolate when it’s dairy-free since dairy inhibits antioxidant absorption. “Finding a dairy-free chocolate will increase bioavailability of the good stuff,” she explains. Here’s exactly how to make LeVeque’s smoothie for breakfast.
Kelly LeVeque’s Double Dark Chocolate Smoothie
Ingredients:
dark chocolate protein powder
1 tsp raw cacao
cacao nibs
1/2 small avocado
chia seeds
unsweetened almond milk
Instructions:
1. Put all your ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy!
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