Not to toot my own horn, but in the wise words of cousin Eddy, this hot cocoa is…
REAL NICE!!
Nothing SCREAMS the holidays like hot cocoa, but your fave Starbucks hot chocolate recipe isn’t so good for your waistline; a grande cup of hot cocoa ( because let’s be honest, who gets a tall these days ) has a whopping 400 calories, 16 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 50 grams of carbs, and 42 grams of sugar !!
Eating or drinking foods that contain saturated can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Added sugar can also lead to heart disease in addition to unnecessary weight gain, energy depletion, and increasing your risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a mindful indulgence, but I prefer to indulge in a few bites of chocolate Portillos cake with a glass of very, VERY dry cabernet at the annual Gorski family Christmas party. I prefer to eat dessert for a mindful indulgences rather than drinking it…
Research shows that caloric beverages, like our S-bucks hot cocoa, may promote obesity by yielding calories without producing satiety. This 2013 study suggests that no evidence for dietary compensation was observed within meals or across entire days and beverages contributed to total energy in a near additive fashion (1) …
So… What does that mean??
Meaning… we don’t get full from drinking our calories ( compared to eating our calories ) and our bodies don’t consume less calories after a high calorie beverage, so we end up in a calorie surplus!
DON’T KILL THE MESSENGER – WE CAN STILL ENJOY OUR BELOVED HOT COCOA!!
As per usual, I have a recipe that is good for your waistline, energy levels, and health!! This recipe contains nearly:
♡ 5x less calories
♡ 3.2x less fat
♡ 8x less net carbs
♡ NO SUGAR !!
Oh – and before we dive into the recipe, PLEASE tell me that you recognize this mug from my National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation!!
Recipe
- 1 cup coconut-almond milk ( this brand )
- 1 T cacao powder
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1 T maple syrup ( this low sugar, low carb brand )
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ounce peppermint schnapps or 1/8 tsp peppermint extract
- Pinch of sea salt
- Coconut whipped cream
- Chopped lily’s baking chocolate for topping
Instructions
- Microwave milk for 1.5 minutes.
- Mix in cacao powder, cinnamon, maple syrup, vanilla extract, peppermint schnapps or peppermint extract, and sea salt with a handheld milk frother.
- Top with whipped cream and chopped chocolate!
ENJOY !! 🤩☕️
xx hails
References:
(1) Appelhans, B. M., Bleil, M. E., Waring, M. E., Schneider, K. L., Nackers, L. M., Busch, A. M., … Pagoto, S. L. (2013). Beverages contribute extra calories to meals and daily energy intake in overweight and obese women. Physiology & Behavior, 122, 129–133. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.09.004