Brrrr….baby, it’s cold outside!
Not being one to complain about winter weather and being cold, I’ll admit to being one to complain that events have to be rescheduled — we want to be outside soaking up the fresh air and sunshine.
Whether it’s sledding, walking, hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or building snowmen, we love to be outdoors in the winter. And when we come in all rosy cheeked and breathless with icicles on our eyelashes, there’s nothing better than a game to play and hot cho to drink (except for buttery/coconut oily/nutritional yeasty/sea salty popcorn). But who’s reading anyway?
We have sampled many a recipe when it comes to “healthy” hot chocolate. Having grown up with Nesquick, I knew there are better options.
Organo Superfood Hot Cocoa
A couple of years ago some colleagues turned me on to Organo products due to their immune boosting ingredient, the reishi mushroom. I was at first concerned about the malt extract (think gluten) and the sugar content. When I brought this to the attention of the doctors I was working with, Dr. Melissa Brennan said this:
“The sugar is a valid concern. It was ours as well, and we spent 9 months keeping those products away from patients until we realized that every one of them were still drinking those [other] products (Nestle, Nesquick, Carnation, etc.) and this was a healthier option. The brilliance of Organo is that they added four times the amount of ganoderma to the latte, five times the amount to mocha, and SIX times the amount to the hot chocolate. It literally offsets the negative effects of the sugar. And yes, to my knowledge, it is organic cane sugar.”
The superfood ganoderma in this hot chocolate provides the following benefits:
- balances pH
- boosts immune system
- provides energy
- oxygenates the body
- promotes healthy detoxification
- blocks inflammation
- improves blood sugar
- encourages focus
- promotes deeper sleep
Is your hot chocolate providing the above for your family? Get on the superfood bandwagon today and bring a healthier hot chocolate into your home. Grab your own box here.
Creamy Homemade Hot Cocoa
When I don’t have Organo, this is my go-to homemade hot chocolate. Ingredients you can feel good about.
Creamy Homemade Hot Cocoa
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond milk
- 4 tbsp full fat coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
- 1/8 tsp powdered stevia
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Slowly heat the almond milk and coconut milk over medium heat.
- Add vanilla, stevia and maple syrup, then whisk in cocoa powder until fully combined.
- Pour and serve. And enjoy!
Hot Cocoa With Protein Powder
A few years ago, my family and I were staying in northern Minnesota at a rental cabin when we got a craving for hot cocoa. Much to our dismay, the only thing in the kitchen was Swiss Miss. I didn’t pack my typical hot chocolate ingredients or the ingredients to make a “steamer,” so I figured we’d just make some tea. A second later my protein powder caught my eye and I knew it would work (not pictured: Dandies marshmallows we had along for s’mores).
Here’s what’s awesome.
Instead of these ingredients:
Sugar, Corn Syrup, Modified Whey, Cocoa(Processed With Alkali), Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Nonfat Milk, Calcium Carbonate, Less Than 2% Of: Salt, Dipotassium Phosphate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Carrageenan, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Artificial Flavor. Contains: Milk.
We got these:
Stevia sweetened beef protein isolate with medium chain triglycerides (your wanted healthy fats), unrefined coconut oil, almond milk
Protein Powder Dairy Free Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 scoop chocolate Dynamic Paleo Protein
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 8 ounces almond milk
- 2 large Dandies marshmallows
Instructions
- Heat the almond milk.
- Stir in the coconut oil.
- Whisk/stir in the protein powder.
- Chop marshmallows into 4 pieces, sprinkle on top.
- Serve
*This post contains affiliate links.
