Good Halloween news: chocolate could be better for your kids than broccoli!
Filed under: Child Development, Feeding & Nutrition, Health and Safety
Hard to believe that anyone could think that the contents of your children's triuck-or-treat bags could be considered health food, but according to all kinds of recent studies, dark chocolate is full of flavonoids, chemicals found in fruits and vegetables that have positive effects on everything from blood vessels, heart and brain to endurance and longevity. In fact, dark chocolate has higher antioxident levels than green tea, red wine, and even blueberries. A number of studies (discussed in the article) have shown the many positive benefits of dark chocolate. The bad news is there probably won't be a lot of dark chocolate in your kids Halloween candy hordes. Most candy is made from milk chocolate that contains 50 percent less cocoa, which is the source of the health-increasing flavonoids. And that milk chocolate is often partnered with sugar and saturated fat. Still, some savvy household in your neighborhood might be passing out dark chocolate this year, and when you go through your kids' bags, be sure to tell them about any "health food" they might have received. Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments