Cacao fruit uses go beyond just the beans.

See how brands are using the pulp, juice, and shell in sustainable and delicious new ways.

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registered dietitian and author ofSmoothies &

Prior to founding Blue Stripes, Brenner was the founder of Max Brenner Chocolate.

Shannon Neumann is the associate director of cacao fruit food company CaPao.

Sylvie Woltering-Valat is the head of marketing at Cabosse Naturals, a brand by Barry Callebaut.

An image of four wine glasses on a wooden surface

While processed chocolate tends to be loaded with added sugar, raw cacao has noneyep, zero.

Heres another factoid about chocolate: Only a small portion of the cacao fruit is used to make it.

Heres a little cacao fruit anatomy lesson.

Young woman mixing ice coffee

Cacao is a large, colorful fruit.

If you crack open its shell, youll see pods.

But thats not the only benefit to consuming more parts of this plant.

Cropped shot of young woman shopping in the dairy section of a supermarket. She is reading the nutrition label on a container of fresh organic healthy natural yoghurt

registered dietitian and author ofSmoothies &

Largeman-Roth says the fruits beans, pulp, and juice also containmagnesium.

Its also linked to relaxation and better sleep.

But, of course, there are several brands working to change that.

Two cups with coffee and green tea on a beige background.

So, he decided to launch a new brand that did it all.

Shannon Neumann, the brands associate director, says sustainability is the main driving factor for the company.

Cabosse Naturals up-cycles everything: the fruits seeds, pulp, and peel.

red pigment in a wooden spoon

This means no wasted deliciousness and no wasted nutrition, says Woltering-Valat.

She adds that even the shell is ground into flour and used in the bars.

The pods have a higher price than just the beans, he says.

Thats an all-around win.

Companies that truly support cacao fruit farmers should highlight it on their website, if not their packaging.

When doing your label reading, Largeman-Roth says its a smart idea to eye the sugar and sodium content.

As a general rule of thumb, keep added sugar under25 grams a dayand sodium under2,300 milligrams a day.

With these tips in mind, youre ready to enjoy cacao fruit to its fullest.

Giving it a try is bound to be an (ahem) fruitful experience.

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