This GF recipe comes from Cake Cooks Gluten Free and looks super yummy. This recipe incorporates two super foods, avocado and the cacao bean; making this dessert both nutritionally sound and a super tasty treat. I have heard about using avocado instead of oil but I have yet to try it. It makes sense adding avocado to the mix, oil cannot even compare.
Avocados & Cacao are a Superfood
I am a huge fan of the avocado and a big advocate for people adding more to their diet. Avocado’s have gotten a bad rap over the years with the belief that people need to stay away from fat. Sure, some out there definitely should be limiting it, but our body and brain need healthy fat to run properly and prevent disease.
Avocados are rich in omega 3 fatty acids which are known to help curb hunger, essential for brain function and central nervous system health. According to the U.S. Library of Medicine, omega 3 fatty acids are “essential nutrients that enhance quality of life and lower the risk of premature death.” In the brain, omega 3’s are key to the production of message sending neurons that talk to the rest of the body. These messages are key to a healthy functioning nervous system, which is everything the brain and spine are connected to.
Omega 3 fatty acids are not made by the body and only obtained through outside sources like wild salmon, sardines, avocados and walnuts.
The high amounts of healthy fat in avocados comes from the oleic acid, yet another nutrient in the fruit that scientists are studying, for its ability to kill cancer cells and regenerate new ones. Are you impressed yet? Well, there’s more, avocados also contain:
- Beta Carotene
- Vitamins E & K
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Lycopene
- Fiber
Cacao Beans
The raw, unheated or unprocessed version of the cacao chocolate bean offers the highest amount of benefits.
Once the processing of the bean begins, the nutrients slowly start to die out. So, all those headlines claiming chocolate is good for you, it really does depend on what type of chocolate and who is manufacturing it.
Some Raw cacao bean benefits are:
- High in flavonoid antioxidants
- Heart Healthy because it helps to keep arteries clog-free
- High in Magnesium
Mexican Chocolate Avocado Mousse
from Cook Eat Paleo
INGREDIENTS
2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup organic raw cacao powder
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup local raw honey, to taste
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon, to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground ancho chile, to taste
Enjoy!
**Top photo courtesy of http://blog.farmfreshtoyou.com
