The Healthy Way to Satisfy Your Chocolate Addiction - Sweet Raw Cacao Chocolate Nibs

As someone who probably qualifies as a chocolate addict, I was thrilled to find a healthy alternative to my insane Kit-Kat and Hershey cravings. Navitas Naturals' Sweet Raw Cacao Chocolate Nibs sounded like the perfect way to cut back on some of that processed chocolate and consume something on a healthier scale.

The Outcome: These soft little nuggets are nice midnight snacks. A handful of these often satisfy my intense chocolate cravings. Every once in a while, I just can't resist the occasional Kit-Kat, Hershey bar, or Reese's Cup. However, these little nibs make it easier to forego the processed chocolate for longer periods of time. Making use of natural, healthier alternatives, like these Cacao Nibs has made it possible for me to cut back on the sweets and chocolate I was consuming. 
 
 What are they? 

The Cacao Sweet Nibs are made from pure cacao beans that come from the tropical cacao fruit. The beans have been crumbled, rolled in raw cacao liquor, and lightly sweetened with organic cane juice. 

Taste:  In short, the nibs are a lot like chocolate covered coffee beans. They're semi-sweet with a unique, robust flavor that differs from the processed, sugary chocolate you get in a convenient store check-out line. They remind me of chocolate covered raisins until the dark chocolately dipping melts away, exposing a center that's less sweet and has the texture of crushed coffee beans. Once you start chewing the beans, that's when the robust, slightly bitter flavor appears. The flavor of the beans remind me of the taste of Jack Daniels Whiskey, although nobody else who tried them agreed with me (two other people.) On the other hand, all three of us found them to taste similar to chocolate covered raisins and chocolate covered coffee beans, so that's probably along the lines of what someone could expect if they've never tried these.

Although the Sweet Nibs are great as a snack on their own, you can get creative and add them to smoothies, milkshakes, ice cream, granola, trail mix, cereal, yogurt, coffee, cookies, etc.

                                                How Cacao Nibs Are "Processed"

Organic farmers in Peru hand-select the cacao beans out of the tropical fruit, then they're washed with purified water. After washing, they are partially fermented to remove some of the bitterness, then they go for low temperature processing, where the nutrition within the beans isn't fully destroyed.

Pro's:

•  Raw.
• Vegan.
• Non GMO product verified.
• USDA Certified organic.

• Made by family-owned green business.

• The only ingredients are certified organic cacao nibs, certified organic cane juice, and certified organic liquor.

Health Benefits of Raw Cacao

• Natural, rich supply of antioxidants, such as polyphenols, theobromine, and flavanols. Antioxidants help boost the immune system and protect against disease by fighting off free-radicals. An added benefit is that Theobromine is a cognitive enhancer and it kills streptococci mutans -- one of the strains of bacteria that cause tooth decay. Cacao has more antioxidants than green tea or wine.

• High source of magnesium.