I love chocolate probably a bit too much. I just added “chocoholic” to my Instagram bio for lack of a better word. If you come up with something better & stronger- am taking suggestions! Chocolate enthusiast doesn’t even begin to cut it. The best part about eating whole, unprocessed foods is that I can still continue to enjoy my chocolate fix.

Chocolate has been unfairly demonized thanks to the hoards of sugar and dairy that have become its manufacturing “sidekicks” over the years. The weight gain & acne associated with chocolate do not stem from cacao itself; but from the sugar and dairy it’s paired with. But if you bid the evil sidekicks farewell, we’re talking about a whole different animal. Cacao is packed with antioxidant goodness & has one of the highest concentrations of magnesium. Magnesium will benefit your cardiovascular system and helps lower blood pressure. I love to get informed and read about food. I strongly encourage you to do the same, knowledge is power. Power to make better choices and nourish the only body we’ve been given. So many poor choices are being made every day because of misinformation.

If you love chocolate- I promise you will love this smoothie. I often taste-test on friends and this smoothie was tested on a chocolate queen who (for all purposes) shall remain anonymous. She couldn’t stop raving about it. She comes to my house in the afternoon and offers to babysit in exchange for yummy treats. It’s truly a win-win. I get some solo time in the kitchen, while “G” she plays with my kids and waits for her upcoming treat. This passed the “G” test with flying colors. It’s loaded with soluble fiber in the form of dry oatmeal, good fats & protein in the form of almond butter, protein & calcium in the form of almond milk, potassium & more good fats coming from the banana, and all the antioxidants coming from raw cacao. It’s good, it’s healthy & I hope you enjoy it as much as these two chocoholics do.

Makes 1 Smoothie- You Will Need:

• 1 tablespoon of raw cacao
• 1 frozen banana sliced
• 1 cup of almond milk * carrageenan free
• 1 tablespoon of almond butter
• 1/3 cup of dry oats

Blend on high until desired consistency is obtained. Because this smoothie has dry oats, it may take a little longer to blend than usual. For a Frappuccino-like texture, add a few ice cubes and blend on “Pulse”.