Quick Snack: Pomegranate Seeds & Chocolate Chips
The pomegranate and chocolate chip combo makes a great snack, healthy and quick to put together! All you have to do is mix a few spoonfuls of pomegranate seeds with a handful of chocolate chips and you’re ready to enjoy! It just takes a little bit of time to remove the seeds from the skin, but once that is done, you can throw together a delicious snack in seconds!
Ingredients:
Pomegranate seeds
Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips
Directions:
Mix the two together and enjoy!
Why should you eat pomegranates? Well, they are:
High in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber- make sure to eat the white insides of the seeds to get the full benefit!
Low in calories (a good snack for those trying to lose weight)- but they do contain some sugar, so don’t overindulge too much!
High in antioxidants, which fight inflammation and protect your skin from sun damage.
Now, why should you eat dark chocolate (DARK chocolate, NOT milk)? It is:
High in iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, and healthy fats.
High in antioxidants polyphenols, flavanols, catechins (which are present in higher quantities than most fruits)
Full of flavanols that stimulate the endothelium (lining of arteries) to produce nitric oxide, which sends signals to the arteries to relax (lowering resistance to blood flow), and thus reduces blood pressure.
Lowers risk of heart disease.
Protects lipoproteins against oxidative damage.
Good for your skin and protects you from sun damage.
Improves blood flow to your brain resulting better cognitive function, especially in elderly people.
Taking the seeds out of a pomegranate can be difficult, but here is the best way that I have found to do it:
Use a knife to cut a small circular hole around thr puckered end of the pomegranate and remove the section you cut out.
Run the knife down the ridges of the pomegranate, starting at the hole you just cut and traveling down to the other end. The knife should not puncture the skin entirely; if you see juice beginning to spill out, you’ve gone too deep. You should do this five times.
Place your thumbs inside the hole you cut in the top and pull outward, separating the sides so that they fall open like petals around the center of the pomegranate.
Extract the seeds and place them in an air-tight container to snack on throughout the week. Store in the refrigerator for up to a 5 days.
