Health Benefits of Cacao
If you’re wondering what Cacao is – well it’s the purest form of chocolate that you can consume, which means it’s raw and far less processed than cocoa powder or chocolate bars. Cacao is also a great source of antioxidants and nutrients so incorporating into your diet is encouraged, which we’re sure you’ll be pleased to read!
The difference between raw cacao and cocoa is that raw cacao is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans. This process keeps the living enzymes in the cacao and removes the fat (cacao butter). Cocoa does look the same as cacao, but due to the preparation process it’s actually not. Cocoa powder is just raw cacao that’s been roasted at high temperatures, but the roasting actually changes the molecular structure of the cocoa bean, which reduces the enzyme content and also lowers the total nutritional content.
If you’re purely focusing on calories there is a saving of 71 calories by eating cacao so this would be the best option for you. It’s also unlikely that you’ll be able to consume the same amount of cacao as milk chocolate as the flavour is much richer and satiating.
Milk Chocolate is typically around 535 calories per 100g
Cacao is around 464 calories per 100g
Don’t forget to try some of our cacao based recipes: The recipe image for the article is the Cacao Tart but we also Cacao Crispies, Cacao Walnut Cake, Chocolate Coconut Bars and there’s many more too. All you have to do is search for cacao and you’ll see all our delicious recipe options. If you try one, we’d love to hear what you think!
For more information on the positive health benefits of eating cacao, read this article which goes into more detail – Eat Cacao
We hope you give cacao a try as it’s a delicious and nutritious alternative to milk chocolate that should be a part of everyone’s healthy treat options.
