Best: Cocoa

Chocoholics, rejoice! This sweet treat (in moderation, of course) is connected with health benefits. Clinical studies show that eating small amounts of chocolate (one piece a day―about 30 calories' worth) lowered systolic blood pressure by 2.9 mm/Hg. That in turn may lower your risk of stroke or coronary heart disease.

Choose dark chocolate containing at least 70 percent cocoa solids. Those contain higher levels of the antioxidant flavonoids responsible for its heath benefits. Several long-term studies have found that this type of dark chocolate may help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (good cholesterol). Find our top choices of baking chocolate from our blind taste test.
 

View Recipe: Barcelona Hot Chocolate