How much do you know about chocolate?
We've all heard it has health benefits, so we asked Trish Brimhall, RDN, CD, CLE, ,from Nutritious Intent on to give us a chocolate quiz.
1. True or False:
Natural cocoa contains more antioxidants than Dutch-processed cocoa
(True - The alkalizing process reduces the amounts of flavanols are substantially reduced)
2. Purchasing chocolate should involve:
a. Satisfying your taste preference
b. Protecting the environment
c. Staying within your budget
d. Stopping child and slave labor
e. All of the above
(e - buying chocolate is more than balancing your food budget with your chocolate cravings, it is the opportunity to vote with your food dollar to support companies that support reforestation and prohibit child and slave labor. So, look into your favorite chocolate producers and see just how much fair or direct trade is involved or google to see which chocolate is ethically sourced.)
3. When it comes to chocolate consumption per capita in the world, the US is ranked:
a. 2nd
b. 8th
c. 1st
d. 4th
(b - at 9.7 pounds per year we are 8th the Swiss are first consuming 19.4 pounds per year)
4. Eating dark chocolate (70% or higher) provides which health benefits?
a. Reduces inflammation
b. Reduces insulin resistance
c. Increases blood flow to the brain
d. All of the above
(d - these are just some of the health benefits from dark chocolate. The higher the % cocoa solids - sometimes listed cacao - the more benefits you get)
5. True or False:
Chocolate consumption is associated with mood improvement and less depressive symptoms.
(True - there continues to be studies on the topic of how much mood and cognitive effect chocolate may provide, but in the meantime, intake in moderation can be a happy health routine.)
You can learn more from Trish at nutritiousintent.com
