Healthy Protein Chocolates

While many of us might understand that chocolate, in its pure form, is inherently healthy, once you add an "s" to the end of the word, we suddenly fall into the category of indulgence. We start dreaming of creamy truffles, Snickers bars, or my personal favorite, Almond Joy. Sometimes you feel like a nut, am I right?

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Over the last two years, as I've cut processed sugars almost completely out of my diet, I have been on the hunt for chocolate bars I can enjoy. I have mentioned my favorite brand in previous posts on this blog. While their chocolate bars are amazing, they are also expensive. While I love to support small businesses when I can, I also don't have a huge disposable income right now. This means I've had to get creative.

That's where these protein chocolates come in. With them, I can mimic the qualities I get in my fancy store-bought chocolates, but I can quickly and inexpensively make them at home using only my microwave, a couple of bowls and spoons, an ice cube tray and my freezer. Also, these are packed with added protein, which the store brands generally are not.

Speaking of protein, I want to talk about the importance of choosing the right protein blend for your needs. The most popular protein blends on the market are whey proteins. Whey is full of the amino acids that your body needs for muscle building and recovery. It is also a dairy product. So if you're lactose intolerant, vegan, or dealing with digestive issues, whey is not for you. Additionally, many whey protein blends also add in gluten. Check your ingredients list carefully.

What options does that leave us with? Truthfully- so many of them. There are a lot of vegan protein powders on the market. Soy protein has been around the longest, but pea protein is now available in full force. The issue with some of these plant-based proteins is that they don't give you all 22 essential amino-acids your body needs. They can give you a lot of them, and studies have shown the results difference isn't hugely significant. Still, it would be nice to get those aminos.

One plant-based protein option that does provide you with all those amino-acids is cranberry protein. This protein is extracted from the cranberry seed and is a wonderful whey alternative. My preferred supplement brand has cranberry protein combined with some other plant based proteins (rice and pea), so you can get a nice blend that your body can easily digest.

Plus, your mind can rest a little knowing that with plant-based products, you are helping the world reduce its cumulative carbon footprint. If you're interested in purchasing my preferred brand at a discount, please reach out to me. I'm always happy to discuss the Arbonne products I use.

Now that we have talked about some of the benefits of a