Good news! Chocolate is Paleo! Well, dark chocolate is for sure, milk chocolate not so much. If you’re already a dark chocolate-lover, I’m sure you’re rejoicing. If you prefer milk chocolate, there’s still hope.
What It’s Made Of
Dark chocolate is just chocolate (cocoa butter and cocoa solids in different proportions) mixed with sugar. The darker the better. You should know by now that a large part of living a Paleo lifestyle includes avoiding/limiting sugar, but a bar of high-quality dark chocolate that’s 85% cocoa does not have enough sugar to warrant concern and has enough health benefits to provide plenty of excuses for you to eat up.
The Fat Profile
The fat in dark chocolate comes from cocoa butter, which is almost entirely saturated and monounsaturated fats, which we like. They are stable when exposed to heat and light and have actually been shown to improve cholesterol levels.
Chocolate and Anti-oxidants
Chocolate also comes loaded with flavanols, a type of polyphenol that is meant to protect the plant, but imparts all sorts of health benefits for humans when consumed. Bad for the plant. Good for us. Chief among these health benefits are reduced blood pressure, improved glucose tolerance, and reduced risk of heart disease.
Mark Sisson has a whole list of reasons why we should include dark chocolate in our diets.
