Giving up sugar can be a big shift for your body, your mind and your habits, especially if you’re a big dessert eater. Whatever motivates your decision to reduce or cut out sugar – for me, it was to reduce inflammation and regulate my mood, energy and food cravings – having delicious substitutes is key to sticking with your intention to be good to your body.
A tremendously important piece of this is having ample healthy fat coming in to your system. Not only does it calm the body (fat = “We’re not in a famine! Don’t panic!”), it helps soothe inflammation, encourages healthy nerve function AND satisfies the palate.
While an I Quit Sugar lifestyle doesn’t lend itself to packaged cookies, doughnuts and traditional candy bars, it does open up a whole plethora of homemade treats that are packed with healthy fats and delicious crunchy bits. Crunch + fat + natural sweetness = pretty perfect, at least in my books.
This DIY cacao-coconut-pistachio bark takes just a couple of minutes to make and is the perfect after-dinner cap, hostess gift, addition to granola or vegan yogurt, pre-workout fuel, breakfast, dinner…. Really, it’s so insanely good. It’s good all the time. It’s also quite similar to the homemade chocolate chips we used in these cookies, so feel free to whip up a batch for snacking AND adding to baking.
Store extra in the freezer and thaw about 10 minutes before consuming (or just eat it frozen. It’s mind-blowing.)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tbsp pistachios, finely chopped
- 1/4 tbsp maple syrup
- Melt coconut oil in a small pan over medium-low heat.
- Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder.
- Pour into a small shallow dish (like a reusable glass storage container) and drop in pistachios.
- Place in the freezer for 15 minutes until set. Use the sharp tip of a knife to fracture the chocolate and enjoy!
What is the serving size for this? The amounts seem small.