Page 5 - BrockCoNewsletter-MarApr2025

spotlight on superf ds: CHOCOLATE

What’s better than a chocolate Easter There’s even more good news. A 3.5-ounce bar will thank you.
bunny? Sure, jellybeans have fun fl avors, but of dark chocolate also has essential minerals Not sure about dark chocolate’s bold, bitter
nothing feels as comforting or as delicious like fi ber, copper, iron, magnesium, and flavor? Start with a 70% cocoa bar. It’s a nice

as chocolate. And here’s the sweet bonus: manganese. But remember, chocolate is a balance of sweetness and richness, and as you
unlike jellybeans, which are mostly sugar, sugary treat, so enjoy it in moderation. get used to it, you’ll discover layers of fl avor.
dye, and artifi cial fl avor, chocolate has some Here’s the scoop on milk and dark chocolate:
health benefi ts. Special occasions call for special treats, so bite
Milk chocolate has between 10% and 50% o some chocolate bunny ears. Savor the fl avor

Chocolate is made from cocoa, sugar, milk, cocoa solids, more sugar, and a sweeter taste. and enjoy knowing your treat comes with some
and fat. Cocoa, the beans for a plant, is a rich surprising benefi ts.
source of nutrients. Cocoa contains special Dark chocolate has between 50% and 90%
compounds like fl avanols and antioxidants cocoa solids, less sugar, and richer fl avors Source:
that can: Both contain cocoa, so both types o er some https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-

• Support heart health nutritional benefi ts. Dark chocolate has more the-news/dark-chocolate-health-fl avonoids/
cocoa, which means more of those good-for-
• Protect your skin from the sun
you nutrients. If you are picking treats, go for
• Boost your mood the dark chocolate- your body and taste buds

National Nutrition Month 2025: "FOOD CONNECTS US"
Each March, National Nutrition Month but also our relationships and our sense of
serves as a time to refl ect on the importance belonging. It reminds us that sharing a meal
of healthy eating and its role in overall well- can be a form of communication, bridging

being. This year’s theme from the Academy di erences and creating understanding.
of Nutrition & Dietetics, "Food Connects The theme also calls attention to the diverse
Us," highlights the powerful ways food ways in which people access and prepare
brings people together—across cultures, food. Whether through family recipes,
communities, and even generations.
local food systems, or international cuisine,
Food has long played a role in fostering food refl ects individuals' and communities'
relationships and bridging gaps between unique stories and identities. It’s a reminder
people. Food can uniquely unite us, whether that eating well is not just about individual
it’s the comfort of a shared meal with loved health but about supporting collective well-
ones, the excitement of discovering a new being.
cuisine, or the camaraderie of a community This March, take time to consider how food
event. Across generations and cultures, connects you to others. Perhaps it’s the
sharing a meal is a powerful reminder of comfort of a recipe passed down through
our shared humanity. These moments generations or the discovery of a new favorite
go beyond sustenance – they become dish that sparks a meaningful conversation.
memories, traditions, and experiences that By celebrating the ways food enriches our
shape who we are. lives, we can foster stronger relationships,
In our increasingly fast-paced world, we embrace diversity, and support the health of
often overlook the social and emotional our communities.
aspects of eating. National Nutrition Month Source:
2025 invites us to slow down and appreciate https://www.eatright.org/national-nutrition-
how food nourishes not just our bodies, month