Cacao and Children

I get asked quite a lot whether children can drink ceremonial cacao. I think it probably comes from parents who have made cacao part of their own routine and inevitably their children want to know what they’re drinking and if they can have some too.

For me, cacao with children is less about sitting them down and giving them a smaller version of an adult ceremony and much more about the ritual of making something together. Let them choose their cup, help measure out the cacao, stir it while it melts and add a little cinnamon and honey if they like it sweeter. It can be messy and they will probably lose interest halfway through, but that’s fine. It doesn’t need to be this perfect mindful moment to still be a lovely one.

I think we sometimes underestimate how much children remember through smell and taste. There are things I can smell now that instantly remind me of being little, even though I probably haven’t thought about that particular memory for years. I love the idea that cacao could become one of those familiar smells. Warm cacao, cinnamon, their favourite cup and ten minutes sitting together might eventually become something they associate with home and feeling safe.

We spend a lot of time as adults trying to learn how to slow down. We go to yoga, learn breathwork, meditate, journal and book retreats because we’ve become so used to being busy that sitting still can actually feel quite difficult. Children aren’t born thinking they need to optimise every hour of their day, we learn that along the way. So rather than teaching them another wellness practice, I think there is something quite nice about making these quieter moments normal while they’re young.

Cacao is particularly lovely for this because there is a process to making it. Children mostly know chocolate as something that comes out of a wrapper, so there is also an opportunity to show them where it actually starts. Cacao grows as a fruit on a tree, and ceremonial cacao is much closer to the original cacao bean than the chocolate and hot chocolate they’re probably used to. It naturally contains magnesium, iron, copper, zinc and manganese as well as fibre, fats and flavanols. It also tastes much more like cacao, which can be a bit of a surprise to a child expecting Cadbury’s. A little honey and cinnamon definitely helps!

And just to be clear, I’m not suggesting we take normal chocolate away from children. There is absolutely a place for chocolate buttons, birthday cake and hot chocolate with far too many marshmallows. I don’t think everything needs to be turned into a healthier version of itself. Cacao is simply something different and I quite like children understanding that chocolate doesn’t begin life sweet and wrapped in purple foil.

Obviously children need much less cacao than adults. As a general guide, for children aged two to five I would avoid it or only offer a tiny taste occasionally. Around six to nine, 5 to 10g is plenty, from ten to twelve around 10 to 15g and teenagers aged thirteen and over around 15 to 20g, depending on their size and sensitivity. Cacao naturally contains theobromine and some caffeine, so I would always start small and see how they get on with it.

The nutritional side of cacao is wonderful, but I actually think the bit around the cup is just as important. Maybe you make it on a Sunday morning when nobody needs to rush out of the door, or after school when they want to tell you about their day. Maybe you sit together and ask what made them happy that week or if there’s anything worrying them. Or maybe you just drink it and talk complete nonsense. It really doesn’t matter.

I don’t think children need us to formally turn every moment into mindfulness. Sometimes it’s enough for them to know that there are moments in the day when we stop, sit together and they have our full attention. If making cacao together becomes one of those moments, I think that’s rather lovely.

And who knows, maybe when they’re older, the smell of cacao and cinnamon will remind them of sitting in the kitchen with you.

Love,

Gizelle x