Healthy Halloween Treats | Enjoy Halloween without the Toxic Ingredients
Halloween is fast approaching, and you may be in the dark over whether or not it is really possible to make Halloween healthy. Many health conscious individuals either completely avoid Halloween sweets, while some may binge out for a single day on processed candies. Thankfully, you do not have to go to either extreme this Halloween, as healthy Halloween treats do exist and are very simple to find.
It may be shocking to you if you are used to the idea of mainstream chocolate, but dark chocolate with a high cacao percentage is actually a powerful superfood. Chocolate is full of nutrients such as vitamin A, B1, B2, D, and E. In comparison by weight, cacao has more antioxidant flavonoids than blueberries, red wine, or black and green teas! Even more interesting is the fact that the higher the cacao percentage, the more antioxidants the chocolate will contain. Therefore, it is important the the chocolate is both organic and at least 70% cacao in order to contain beneficial nutrients while still tasting great.
Cacao-Rich Chocolate: the Key to Your Healthy Halloween Treats and Other Halloween Food Ideas
You can find fruits, granola, and a number of other delicious food items coated in cacao-rich chocolate, making for delicious and nutrient-dense Halloween treats that even young children will enjoy.
In addition to providing you with a number of great Halloween snacks, chocolate has also been found to:
- Fight cancer –Â Chocolate inhibits cell division and reduces inflammation, leading to reduced cancer growth and spread.
- Protect against free radical damage –Â The cocoa in chocolate contains a type of flavonoid that helps to protect against free radical damage.
- Increase your lifespan – Studies have found that chocolate can help you live a longer, disease free life. The world’s longest living woman, age 122, consumed 2.5 pounds of chocolate each week. It is thought that chocolate may have played a role in her longevity.
- Help with depression –Â Chocolate contains serotonin, a natural compound that helps with depression.