Living a healthy lifestyle is great, until you realize you can’t have chocolate. The hearts of chocolate lovers break every time they are reminded that they can’t indulge in the sweet treat.
That is, until we were all introduced to the cacao nib. Cacao nibs are the healthy alternative to chocolate that can help satisfy all of your cravings, and add a little pizzazz to your recipes. It’s time to learn how to eat cacao nibs, and add this superfood to literally everything.
So, WTF Are They?
Cacao nibs are cacao beans that have been roasted, separated from their husks, and then broken into smaller bits. Naturally, the raw cacao does not have sugar. Because of this, the roasting process determines the notes that are evident in the flavor of the nibs. If the nibs are lightly roasted, they’ll have fruity notes as opposed to those that are heavily roasted having nutty notes.
Cacao nibs look like coffee beans and have a chocolatey bitter taste. As the purest form of chocolate, cacao nibs are less processed than the chocolate bar that you can find in your local convenience store.
How To Eat Them
Cacao nibs are great because they can be eaten in so many ways. The easiest way to eat them is straight from the bag, as they are. If you want to make this snack a little more exciting, you can add the cacao nibs to your favorite trail mix as a substitute for chocolate.
If you enjoy a morning shake that has a hint of chocolate, toss in a handful of cacao nibs to blend in all of those benefits. Or, if you prefer an acai or oatmeal bowl to start your morning, topping it off with cacao nibs adds the perfect combination of color and nutrients.
Cacao nibs can even be used as a rub for meats or mixed in homemade ice cream.
Benefits
Although they are tiny, cacao nibs pack a lot of benefits that will make you want to incorporate them in every meal. Cacao nibs are rich in magnesium, which promotes muscle and nerve function. They are also full of iron to improve red blood cell production and antioxidants that will absorb the free radicals in your body in order to prevent damage.
As if this superfood wasn’t supper enough, despite its small size, it has 11 grams of fiber per ounce. Not only is it way more fiber than you’d find in a chocolate bar, but it has its own benefits like aiding with weight loss and weight management.
You no longer have to wonder how to eat cacao nibs because incorporating them into your diet is easier than you thought. Cacao nibs are a little way to make a big difference in the nutritional value of your food. Whether it be in a meal or in a snack, cacao nibs are the superfood you need to save the day.