Better-For-You Hot Chocolate

I have said it a million times, but I am saying it again: I am a chocoholic and have a MAJOR sweet tooth. The main thing I have learned in the past couple of years from changing my lifestyle and eating more wholesome ingredients is that you don’t have to deprive yourself from eating sweets and chocolate. I really think that everything is good in moderation. If you deprive yourself, you will be miserable and it will lead you to not sticking with your goals.

I have shared my story with Hypothyroidism in the past here, but wanted to share that that is the reason I got into living a more balanced lifestyle. Since living with this condition makes you feel sluggish, slowls down your metabolism, and makes you not feel so great overall, I started researching a TON and reading about how important it is to fuel your body with wholesome ingredients, and to really pay attention to what you are putting in your body. Before being diagnosed, I “tried” to make better choices when I would eat, but never really followed through with it. Once I really started focusing on making better choices and fueling my body properly, I really grew to love this lifestyle.

I also shared some tips on how I stay on track here. One of my favorite ways to cure a sweet tooth at night, or really, any time of day, is to make this better-for-you hot chocolate. It can be made in just a few minutes and gives you that chocolate boost you need! It is also made with unsweetened almond milk, so it is dairy free.

I like using stevia drops or something like Truvia when baking or making salad dressings, etc.

This couldn’t be easier to make. No stovetop required! Just combine the cocoa powder with a little bit of hot water to form a paste.

Add in the unsweetened almond milk and stevia drops or sweetener of choice and mix well!

Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, top with marshmallows, and drink up!

Better-For-You Hot Chocolate

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• Sweetener of choice (stevia drops or sweetener of choice )
• optional: marshmallows for topping

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add cocoa powder in a large mug.
2. Slowly add a little bit of hot water (about a tsp, or enough to make a chocolate paste) and mix well.
3. Add almond milk to mixture and mix well.
4. Microwave for about 1 to 1:30 minutes, or until it has reached your preferred temperature.
5. Top with marshmallows, or topping of choice!