hide flash

VIV Extras

> <

Giveaways

Enter to Win a Copy of 'Handmade Chic'!
One lucky reader will win a copy of this new book by Laura Bennett.

Playlists

Lauren Bowles' Balance With Sara Ivanhoe
As featured in the January/February 2012 issue of VIVmag, for 10 years Lauren Bowles, from HBO’s hot series True

Recipes

Golden Rice with Cauliflower, Nuts, Dried Fruit and Indian Spices
Take a trip to India with this fragrant rice dish, a perfect pairing of sweet and savory.

Events

VIVmag wins two int'l magazine awards

VIVmag, the all digital luxury magazine for women earns two international awards. The tradition of creating excellence in digital magazine publishing continues as VIVmag has won the Digital Magazine Awards 2010 - Silver Award for Lifestyle Magazine of the Year while also sharing in Photographer of the Year for their - March/ April VIV cover shot by Alexx Henry. DIGITAL MAGAZINE AWARDS - SILVER
Healthy Eating | No Comments
February 9th, 2010




Healthy Chocolate! 5 Easy Treats

dark chocolate

Using dark chocolate in your recipes is less fattening than adding milk varieties.

We love chocolate, yet often feel guilty eating it. But from a nutritional standpoint, there’s no reason to: Cacao is a fruit tree and its seeds (known as cocoa beans) contain more than 800 healthy compounds that fight cancer and heart disease. The trick to enjoying the chocolate made from those beans without gaining weight is to eat the dark stuff because it’s less fatty than milk chocolate (just be sure to stick with fair-trade varieties; for our favorites, click here). Even better, satisfy your fudge fix with cocoa powder, which contains no sugar or fat, but is rich in protein, calcium, potassium and even fiber.

To get you started, here are five chocolate treats to nourish you and your valentine from VIVmag contributor Victoria Abbott Riccardi:

1. Chocolate Cherry Munch: Place 2½ cups Kashi Good Friends Cereal and ¼ cup chopped, dried, pitted cherries in a medium bowl. Drizzle mixture with 3 tablespoons melted bittersweet chocolate and toss to coat. Scatter Chocolate Cherry Munch onto a foil-lined baking sheet to dry. Break up bits and then transfer to a sealed container. Nutrition score per ¼-cup serving: 63 calories, 29% fat, fat 2 g, carbs 13 g, protein 1 g, fiber 3 g, calcium 5 mg, iron .4 mg, sodium 27 mg.

2. Fudgey Cocoa: Whisk together ¼ cup evaporated skim milk and ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder in a small saucepan to create a paste. Whisk in ¾ cup more evaporated skim milk, a tiny pinch each of salt and ground cinnamon, and enough agave nectar to sweeten (1–2 tablespoons). Bring mixture to a boil, whisking constantly, then pour into two small mugs. Nutrition score per serving: 169 calories, 11% fat, fat 2 g, carbs 33 g, protein 12 g, fiber 3.6 g, calcium 384 mg, iron 1.9 mg, sodium 149 mg.

3. Choco-Apples: Cut a tangy-sweet apple into 8 wedges; divide wedges between two plates. Drizzle 2 tablespoons melted semi-sweet chocolate chips over apple wedges and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped smoked almonds. Nutrition score per serving: 185 calories, 49% fat, fat 10 g, carbs 26 g, protein 3 g, fiber 4.5 g, calcium 40 mg, iron .9 mg, sodium 36 mg.

4. Chocolate-Banana Date Shake: Combine 4 ice cubes, 1 large ripe banana, 1 cup skim milk, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 4 pitted dates in a blender. Cover blender, whip until smooth and pour into two glasses. Nutrition score per serving: 247 calories, 4% fat, fat 1 g, carbs 60 g, protein 7 g, fiber 6.8 g, calcium 194 mg, iron 1.4 mg, sodium 54 mg.

5. Raspberry Sorbet With Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce: Whisk together 1 cup evaporated skim milk with ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. When mixture bubbles, add 1½ ounces grated bittersweet chocolate, a teeny pinch of salt and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk sauce until smooth. Let cool slightly before spooning over raspberry sorbet. Nutrition score per ½-cup serving of sorbet and two tablespoons of sauce: 195 calories, 9% fat, fat 2 g, carbs 45 g, protein 3 g, fiber 3.4 g, calcium 66 mg, iron .6 mg, sodium 35 mg.

What’s your favorite dessert to share?

Photo credit: Anne Clark

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reader Comments:

No comments on this article yet.

Leave a Comment