A Healthier Hot Chocolate

It's mine, and probably lots of your kids favourite drink ... especially in the winter months. That's why I had to stop buying the hot chocolate powders that they sell at the stores and make a healthier version. I use similar ingredients - it just tastes more chocolatey and its WAY better for them. Instead of the sugar, cocoa, salt and flavourings, I use cacao and maple syrup.

Cacao (spelt differently to cocoa) is the bean in its raw state - uncooked and unprocessed. Once it has been roasted and processed it is then named cocoa. Due to the refining cocoa looses some of its nutritious benefits and levels of antioxidants.

Cacao is full of antioxidants which promote health, it improves cognitive function, helps with their immune system, increases energy without overstimulating them and can actually fight tooth decay as it helps to harden the enamel.

It contains: Minerals (magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, potassium), Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B9, E), Protein and Fiber.

Pure maple syrup is a unrefined natural sweetener which has numerous benefits when used in small amounts. It contains important anti oxidants and minerals and is low on the glycemic index (won't give your kids a sugar high). It is also a prebiotic which means it feeds the good (not the bad) bacteria in your gut which helps keep your immune strong (refined sugar does the opposite - feeds the bad bacteria and suppresses the immune system for a few hours).

So there you have it - hot chocolate made from 2 ingredients that are actually good for you ...

My Recipe

• 1 flat teaspoon cacao

• 1 flat tablespoon maple syrup

• 1 cup milk of your choice

Mix the cacao and maple syrup together to form a paste.

Warm the milk up and add to the mixture.

NOTE: Cacao is VERY chocolatey so you may need less ... you can vary the ingredients depending on how you like yours.