How to Beat Chocolate Cravings + Snow Turtles Recipe (Paleo, GF, DF, V)
Just cause you made a resolution to never eat a full chocolate bar in one sitting, doesn't mean your body is gonna listen to that and all of a sudden not crave chocolate.
Plus really... what is life without any chocolate, amiright?
So, here are a few steps we can take to deal with chocolate cravings!
How to Beat Chocolate Cravings
1) Consider your Stress Levels
Chronic stress requires the use of LOTS of minerals, especially magnesium. Turns out, the tastiest source of magnesium out there? CHOCOLATE! Perhaps, finding other ways to deal with your stress could be the key to reducing those cravings.
2) Plan For It
For me, keeping my stress down definitely reduces chocoalte cravings but it doesn't eliminate them all together. Plus, enjoying a little bit of chocolate for dessert is an enormous joy. So, instead of even trying to deny myself, I PLAN to eat chocolate on a semi-regular (sometimes daily) basis.
When I plan to incorporate chocolate, it reduces my likelihood of mindlessly reaching for something else that is less than ideal for me throughout the day. I KNOW I am going to indulge so I’m not anxious about it and I don’t feel deprived. It also eliminates ANY sense of guilt that we often place on ourselves when we say “I won’t give into my cravings” and then we inevitably do.
Chocolate really is not something feel bad about. Especially if you’re going for the chocolate with a high cacao content (70% or higher). Cacao is actually a prebiotic and can help you to balance and build a healthy microbiome! This brings me to my next point.
3) Upgrade Your Chocolate
Like I said, the TYPE of chocolate you consume matters.
Most chocolate contains milk ingredients. Sometimes even those up to 80% cacao still contain milk ingredients. These can be inflammatory and contribute to further cravings.
I recommend you look for dark chocolate, 70% or higher, that does not contain any milk ingredients.
I know this can be a big transition, but I promise that once you get used to eating darker chocolate, the darker you’ll go and the more you’ll love it. Seriously. I don’t have a taste for milk chocolate at all anymore. It’s just about training your tastebuds to really notice how sweet the milk chocolate actually is and to enjoy the bitter chocolatey kick of the dark side.
4) Make it Yourself!
Instead of opening a chocolate bar and hoping I'll have the self control to stop before I hit the last piece (I won't!), I make my own chocolate treats that pack WAY more nutrition than your drugstore variety. Getting in more nutrition while you enjoy your chocolate means you’re more likely to fill up and your body is more likely to USE that nutrition & energy rather than just storing it.
Start with these three tips and you’ll be well on your way. Of course, cravings can be a complicated and sometimes enormously emotional matter, so if these tips don’t work for you DO NOT FRET! We just need to get to your root causes, like nutritional deficiencies or emotional trauma and work through them with strategies that make sense for you.
Snow Turtles
(PALEO, GF, DF V)
TIME: 15 minutes
SERVES: 24 turtles
INGREDIENTS
1 bag dark chocolate chips (I recommend Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips!)
1 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
DIRECTIONS
1) Melt chocolate over double boiler or microwave in a large glass bowl until melted. Stir well to combine.
2) Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3) Add almonds to the melted chocolate and stir to combine.
4) Use a spoon to drop small, even clusters (I recommend each turtle contain 4-5 almonds) onto the parchment paper.
5) Sprinkle coconut overtop of each cluster immediately.
6) Transfer to the freezer until the clusters are set, about 15 minutes.
7) Remove from freezer and enjoy!
STORAGE: You can keep these in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temp, 7-9 days in the fridge and indefinitely in the freezer.
If you make this recipe, please feel free to take a pic and tag me on instagram @realistic.holistic and use #realisticholistic :) I’ll be sure to share your culinary adventure!
COMMENT below if you have any questions or comments about the recipe! I’m always here to help & I love hearing what your experience was with the recipe!
SHARE this with your “chocoholic” friends.
As always, thanks for stopping by!
Kisses & kombucha,
xox Meg