Delightful Dark Chocolate - CulinArt Group

Eat Well Blog

Delightful Dark Chocolate

New Years has come and gone – did you make any health related resolutions? Looking for a way to continue improving your health during the month of chocolate, aka Valentine’s Day? Well you’re in luck!

Chocolate is derived from the cocoa plant, which contains large amounts of antioxidants and minerals. The antioxidants in cocoa are called flavonoids! Antioxidants are great for the body because they neutralize free radicals and prevent oxidative stress. Over time, oxidative stress can contribute to the development of various diseases, such as Heart disease, Diabetes, Cancer and Eye disease. Flavanols also benefit two major risk factors for heart disease including: high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

But – all chocolate is not created equal, even though all chocolate is delicious! There is a difference between milk and dark chocolate. Since milk chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, milk and small quantities of cocoa, it contains a lesser amount of antioxidants. Whereas, dark chocolate is rich in ton of minerals, including iron, magnesium and zinc. Did you know it is recommended to eat 1 to 2 ounces or 30-60g of dark chocolate daily? The darker the chocolate (higher percentage of cocoa) means more flavonols, which leads to improved wellness. Dark chocolate also contains compounds with anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce inflammation in our body. This sweet, yet bitter treat may even improve brain function and prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. So, if you’re leaning towards a chocolaty snack, you may want to choose dark chocolate that includes at least 70 percent of cacao to get that delicious chocolate flavor with more health benefits!

So, enjoy the chocolate holiday and go for the dark chocolate when you’re craving something sweet! Remember, the darker the chocolate, the more health benefits.

Check out these ways to include dark chocolate into your meals and snacks: 

  • Blend rich dark chocolate in your delicious smoothies
  • You can even add chocolate into your oatmeal as well as cereal
  • Add dark chocolate chips to your yogurt
  • Melt dark chocolate and drizzle it on top of fruits
  • Mix melted chocolate into nut butter
  • Have a square (or two) of chocolate for dessert
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  • February 12, 2020

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What our clients are saying

“What a wonderful dinner we had tonight for our international families. The food was delicious and well presented as well.”

“Thank you for including me today in the food waste demonstration/[chef competition] and flattering me with the role of “judge.” I will proudly don the [Stop Food Waste Day] apron the next time I plan an “event” in our own kitchen. I think this is a very worthwhile cause and the statistics you read off are staggering. They, alone, can intimidate a home chef, let alone be the “driver’ for a professional one.”

“Thank you and your staff for all the care and thought you give CSW adults and students. You approach events with such care and elegance- I don’t know how you do it! Especially day after day. Please thank all your staff for their wonderful work and kind manner with all of us. Here is to a great year!”

“Many, and I do mean many, thanks for a great Parents Weekend.  I heard from so many happy parents and you all work very hard to make it happen.  In gratitude and kindness…”

“We are so thankful and so impressed by your immediate attention to our power outage. It was such a relief to see all the equipment and workers coming in within a few hours of the outage. Thank you for serving dinner to all [the] students in a very difficult circumstance. Please extend our thanks to your workers who braved cold weather to grill hamburgers and hotdogs.”

“With all the prep work from Winterim ramping up and classes continuing as usual, it's a busy time to be a Forman teacher. Imagine my delight, tired as I was, when I delved into the upscale-restaurant-quality chicken parmesan our dining hall served last night. Forman is all about support, and providing our students with a dinner of that quality is just as important a measure of support as anything that happens in a classroom.”

“I can’t thank your entire team enough for the outstanding service, food, displays, everything!  You are a master at detail, and because of that Adam and I were able to focus on the parents.  I know what a sacrifice pulling off a weekend like this means, we are so appreciative and grateful to you all for your talent and generosity.”

“I ALWAYS feel spoiled by the meal offerings at CSW (The Cambridge School of Weston) and am entirely grateful for it. As I eat today's delicious and lavish lunch (and think about yesterday's as well), I can't tell you how much I feel so well cared for here, both with the food and by the dining hall staff. CSW cares for us in so many ways, both big and small.”

“Thank You! Chef Budd [and team], you overcame a new online ordering system (and hundreds of labels daily!), provided creative and healthy menus, continued to connect with local farmers to incorporate locally sourced ingredients, and worked tirelessly to serve the school community on three campuses.  While it feels like you are all a little like the Wizard of Oz right now, working behind a curtain in a kitchen far away, we sense your smiles and your passion to deliver the best possible service during these trying times. We are all so grateful!”

“I will say that CulinArt has always been a very collaborative partner to T. Rowe Price, listening to our current needs and future goals and suggesting realistic and achievable strategies to meet those goals.  2020 was obviously no exception.  CulinArt also altered other areas of our OCS and pantry programs to create safer environments for all our associates. We can only thank you for your continued flexibility and innovative ideas through these difficult times.”

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