Who would think that my introductory post would be about chocolate, well, actually, the heart-healthy part, cocoa?!  With food costs across the board skyrocketing, people cannot afford ‘luxury’ food items.  Chocolate will be among those items –  as the price of cocoa has soared to the crazy amount of $3,150.00 per tonne, according to www.foodanddrinkeurope.com.   Well, it’s basic economics, when the demand is higher than the supply the increased prices are passed along to us, the consumers. 

Well, let’s look on the bright side – this is good news from a nutrition/weight management perspective.   The message that dark chocolate contains powerful flavonols, which have been found to be good for heart health and blood pressure – not to mention can satisfy a sweet tooth, has the risk of being blown out of portion control.  So rising chocolate prices at the cash register may thwart overeating and encourage the one-ounce a day limit.  Thus, managing your budget can work from both a personal fiscal and caloric standpoint!   That’s my hope, at least (as long as stores do not start giving away FREE chocolate).