Raw Cacao - food of the Gods! 3 easy ways to use Raw Cacao powder...

Chocolate has always been my downfall. For some people it's crisps, for others it's donuts, for me it's most definitely chocolate. Dark chocolate with salted caramel, white chocolate with freeze-dried strawberries, milk chocolate with fruit and nuts - basically, give me any chocolate and I'll be happy. But over the last few years, as you will know, I have become more and more concerned with giving my body what it needs - the right kind of fuel, so-to-speak - rather than what my taste buds want. However I was also adamant that I wouldn't deprive myself of things I enjoyed, and so it was time to look for alternatives.

I honestly can't quite remember when I first came across raw cacao powder, but my goodness am I glad I did! I now have at least a spoonful of the stuff on a daily basis, satisfying my chocolate cravings, but also feeling smug in the knowledge that it's actually good for me. Yes, that's right, chocolate (in certain forms) is good for you. I'm no nutritionist, but I do know that raw cacao is packed full of antioxidants, magnesium, flavonoids (these promote healthy blood pressure and improve blood flow), essential healthy fats, protein and fibre. (Find out more about the health benefits on www.builtlean.com - they know much more about them than I do ;)). And did I mention - it's delicious!

Raw cacao powder can be a little pricey, but if you buy it online you can usually get a better offer. I buy mine from Amazon, and this 500g bag lasts at least a month and only costs a tenner - bargain if you ask me ;)

So, if you really need extra persuading to start including it in your diet, here are 3 ways I use it in mine to give you a bit of inspiration:

1. Cashew, date & raw cacao powder power smoothie

I am a little bit obsessed with this at the moment, and do have it for breakfast most mornings, but despite looking (and tasting) like a chocolatey treat it is actually also good for you. Here's what's in it:

Small handful of cashew nuts (ground in my blender - do this before adding anything else)

5/6 dates

3 table spoons of plain soya yogurt (you could use good quality natural yogurt instead, but I can't have dairy!)

Coconut milk

1 table spoon of raw cacao powder

Optional:

Half a handful of chia seeds

Half a teaspoon of matcha green tea powder

2. Coconut milk hot chocolate

If I get a little chocolate craving in the evening, this is what I make for myself...et voila, the craving is satisfied! It's a "healthy" version of a hot chocolate and is dairy free so vegans can enjoy this recipe too :) This one is super simple, but super delicious...

Mug of coconut milk

1 table spoon of raw cacao powder

Squeeze of agave nectar

Optional:

Small teaspoon of coconut oil

A sprinkling of cinnamon

3. Madeleine Shaw's raw chocolate fudge

This recipe is so incredible that I've actually previously dedicated a whole post to it. I've been a fan of Madeline's recipes for at least year now, and this one is definitely up there with my favourites. It feels like a truly decadent treat, but enjoyed in moderation it's actually good for you and is packed full of goodness - antioxidants, vitamin E, essential healthy-heart fats etc. 

Here's the recipe (you literally just smush all the ingredients together - yes, that's the technical term - pop it in the freezer for half an hour, and then move it to the fridge):

100g of coconut oil
100g of almond butter (I use Meridian)
50g raw cacao powder
100g of honey
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
A pinch of sea salt

So if you're a fellow chocolate lover, firstly - high five!, secondly, buy yourself some raw cacao powder and give these recipes a go. Chocolate nowadays is packed full of sugars and unhealthy ingredients, but raw cacao in its pure form is called the food of the Gods for a reason - it is delicious and has health benefits - what more could you want?

Let me know if you try any of these recipes - I'd love to hear how you get on! 

Love Lucy x

Delicious raw chocolate fudge - recipe by Madeleine Shaw

One of my favourite weekend pastimes is to make (and then eat) delicious nutritious food. Being so busy during the week it's the perfect way to relax and to thank your body for putting up with the stresses of modern-day working life. Someone who inspires me in my weekend kitchen escapades is Madeleine Shaw; I've followed Madeleine on Instagram for a while now, and her recipes always look so tasty. She's a qualified Nutritional Health Coach who wants to encourage people to become the hottest, healthiest, happiest version of themselves, and her recipes are designed to enable people to enjoy their food whilst being healthy. I've tried a couple of her recipes over the last few weeks and they've all been amazing, but her raw chocolate fudge recipe is something else. It's also super simple to make. In all honesty, this is one that you really must try to believe just how delicious it is.

Here's some I made earlier...:

Ingredients

100g of coconut oil

100g of almond butter (I use Meridian) 

50g raw cacao powder

100g of honey

1 tsp of vanilla extract

A pinch of sea salt

The directions are also really straight forward - click here to see how Madeleine does it. 

The only downside is that some of these ingredients can be rather expensive - especially the coconut oil and raw cacao powder - but if you shop around a little you can often find some good deals. I may also try my next batch using drinking chocolate powder, just to see how a cheaper version tastes, however then you miss out on the antioxidants in the raw cacao. Another ingredient I may try adding in is grated orange peel as this could be a tasty seasonal addition for the upcoming festive period - a bit like a healthy Terry's chocolate orange! 

I really would recommend giving this recipe a go, it's my new favourite weekend treat, and it's packed full of goodness so can be enjoyed as a guilt-free indulgence.

Let me know if you make it, I'd love to hear what you think! Also be sure to follow Madeleine on Instagram and to sign up for her newsletter for some other amazing healthy recipes. 

Love Lucy x

Top 5 Healthy Food Instagramers to follow

Instagram is the perfect platform for healthy eating inspiration: it's visual, it's creative, and most of all it provides a constant flow of new and exciting foody-ideas. I love scrolling through my Insta-feed in the morning and seeing all the healthy juices, breakfasts, lunches, dinners and (best-of-all) treats that the health Instagramers of the world are sharing. I've always been interested in eating healthily, but it's easy to become stuck in a rut of simple salads and Special K, and healthy eating can be so much more exciting than that! Instagram is a great place to be inspired, and if you follow the right accounts you'll never be short of recipe ideas for all occasions.

So, here are The Beautifully Healthy Project's Top 5 Healthy Food Instagramers:

ONE: @madeleine_shaw_ 

TWO: @deliciouslyella

THREE: @Thewholefooddiary

FOUR: @hemsleyhemsley

FIVE: @mynewroots

All good healthy food Instagramers like these Top 5 don't just share photos, they also share the recipes (or at least the ingredients), so you really can see Instagram as a really accessible and visual cookery book. Many of them also have websites to offer further inspiration and ideas. 

So, get on Instagram, get following, and get making deliciously healthy (and beautifully looking) foods!

Live healthy, be happy. 

Love Lucy x