Cuckoo for Cocoa this National Chocolate Day (Plus Leftover Candy Ideas!)

Delectable, delicious, and decadent. These three words can only be used to describe the world’s best candy, chocolate! With Halloween so close, it should come as no surprise that October 28^th is National Chocolate Day.

Chocolate has been consumed for thousands of years, not only because it is tasty but also because it can be nutritious. When you think chocolate, you may not think of health, however, chocolate can be part of a well-balanced diet. Dark chocolate specifically is packed with minerals and vitamins that your body utilizes to function efficiently.

Once Halloween is over you may not know what to do with all the leftover candy that you have around the house. While you can always eat the chocolate as is, you can also choose to incorporate it into other meals. There are hundreds of foods you can make better just by adding chocolate!

Getting Healthy with Chocolate

Dark chocolate contains more cocoa solids, two to three times more, than milk chocolate. Many of the health benefits of chocolate come from the cocoa solids which is why dark chocolate is considered healthier. Here are some of the nutritional benefits of eating chocolate:

Heart Health: Chocolate is packed with flavanols which are compounds found in plants. This compound, found in dark chocolate, has been shown to stimulate the production of nitric oxide. This improves blood flow and relaxes blood vessels, reducing blood pressure, and promoting heart health.

Improved Vision: Some studies suggest that those who eat dark chocolate have improved vision compared to those who ate milk chocolate. Researchers theorize this may be due to the improved blood flow to the retina.

Blood Glucose: Flavanols in chocolate have been shown to help with insulin resistance. Improved insulin resistance can help with glycemic control and reduce the risk of diabetes. However, it is important to choose chocolate lower in added sugars to reap this benefit.

Gut Health: Your gastrointestinal tract needs prebiotics to feed the healthy bacteria. Cocoa is full of prebiotics that feed those bacteria to keep your gut healthy.

Waste No Chocolate

Halloween candy tends to get thrown into the refrigerator and left there until the next year rolls around and finally gets thrown out. Instead of wasting all the candy, your children collected, why not repurpose it? Here are some easy ways to add leftover candy to other meals:

Peanut Butter Pancakes: Chop up leftover peanut butter cups and sprinkle them into pancake batter. You can also drizzle peanut butter over them to add more protein and flavoring.

Fudge Brownies: Add leftover chocolate candies into brownies to make them extra chocolatey! Use something with a crunch for an added twist.

Parfait: If you have tubes of yogurt in your house, make it more delectable by adding pieces of chocolate.

Trail Mix: This is the perfect time of year to get outside and hike some local trails. Make your own trail mix with granola topped with leftover candy!

Get creative with your meals! Everything tastes better with a little chocolate.

Your Turn to Action: What is your favorite chocolate candy? Let me know in the comments below.