Dark Chocolate and Almonds
Information
Dark chocolate and almonds make a rich, satisfying, and portable snack.
A 100-gram bar of dark chocolate with 70–85% cocoa contains:
- 11 grams of fibre
- 67% of the RDI for iron
- 58% of the RDI for magnesium
- 89% of the RDI for copper
- 98% of the RDI for manganese
- It also has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium
Of course, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) is a fairly large amount and not something you should be consuming daily. All these nutrients also come with 600 calories and moderate amounts of sugar. Chocolate therefore should be consumed only in moderate amounts. Cocoa and dark chocolate have a wide variety of powerful antioxidants. The bioactive compounds in cocoa may improve blood flow in the arteries and cause a small but statistically significant decrease in blood pressure.
Choose quality chocolate — dark chocolate with 70% or higher cocoa content.
Dark chocolates typically contain some sugar, but the amounts are usually small and the darker the chocolate, the less sugar it will contain.
Almonds are highest in calcium of all nuts. Almonds are also high in fibre, vitamin E and magnesium. Almonds help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, and can help protect against diabetes. These nuts are actually low in calories with ten almonds costing you approximately 78 calories.
Ingredients: (2 servings)
- 50g dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao
- 20 almonds
