Winter is coming. After coffee and tea, hot chocolate is certainly the most popular hot drink this time of year. Hot chocolate has its origins in the Mayan culture. After the Spaniards brought the cocoa plant to Europe from South America in the 16th century, cocoa was offered in German pharmacies in the 17th century for the following purpose:
"Cacao strengthens the stomach, makes life spirits quicker, dilutes the juices and blossoms, helps to lust for Venus, strengthens the head, relieves pain and its praise both as food and as medicine cannot be described enough."
In European aristocratic circles, it quickly became a fashionable drink, which was said to be particularly digestible and to have all sorts of healing and aphrodisiac effects. Crucial to the spread of cocoa as a luxury food was the discovery that it becomes more aromatic when sweetened with cane sugar and suits the tastes of many.
In addition to sugar and cocoa, milk is also a main component of hot chocolate. However, sugar and dairy are not at the top of the list of foods I recommend for our clients and athletes. Many better alternative solutions have emerged in recent years. One of my favorite solutions is the "Hot Greens Chocolate" based on a recipe from YPSI A license trainer Florian Rau. In which the cow's milk is replaced by almond milk and the cocoa/sugar mixture by greens with stevia. The recipe is as follows:
Ingredients
- 200ml almond milk
- 200ml of water
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of Dynamic Greens Chocolate Flavor
- Vanilla Drops or Cinnamon to taste
preparation
– Pour the almond milk into a cup.
– Stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons chocolate flavored greens, depending on taste.
– Boil the water in the kettle and pour it into the cup with the almond milk and the greens.
– Stir in vanilla drops or cinnamon to taste.
- Complete!
The Greens are a blend of antioxidant-rich vegetables, fruits, grasses, algae and other plant extracts with a very high nutrient density. Compared to many Greens products, Dynamic Greens has a very wide range of ingredients and an excellent taste.
Roasted almond milk with its slightly nutty, marzipan-like taste is also a good choice for regular almond milk. Another variant is to use the espresso-flavored greens for a pleasant coffee note instead of the chocolate-flavored greens.
The hot greens chocolate with its three main ingredients also contains almost no calories, no carbohydrates, no gluten, no lactose and is vegan.
To the hot greens chocolate!
Image: Almond milk, greens, and the finished greens hot chocolate in the middle.