At Goodnight’s Red River, our approach to food is deeply rooted in the evolutionary wisdom of our ancestors. Long before industrial farming and modern dietary trends, humans thrived on a diet rich in nutrient-dense, animal-based foods that fueled our bodies and the growth of our brains and civilizations. Our focus on grass-fed meats, pasture-raised eggs, and wild-caught fish is not just about health—it’s about returning to the foods that allowed our species to survive, thrive, and evolve.
In that context, in its pure and unprocessed form, cacaois one of the few plant-based foods that has a natural place in this evolutionary story. Unlike the more recent introduction of grains, processed sugars, and refined carbohydrates – which have led to widespread health issues – cacao stands out as a natural, unadulterated food that humans have utilized for centuries. When used correctly, cacao complements the nutrient-dense, whole foods we advocate, offering benefits that align with the foods that shaped our ancestors’ diets.
Cacao and Our Evolutionary Diet: A Return to Nutrient-Dense Foods
For hundreds of thousands of years, early humans consumed diets rich in animal proteins, healthy fats, and a small selection of plant-based foods like nuts, seeds, and certain fruits. This diet was low in carbohydrates and free from processed sugars, supporting the development of larger brains, stronger bodies, and long-term health. Our ancestors thrived on simple, whole foods that provided maximum nourishment without the modern-day distractions of processed foods.
Cacao fits into this narrative as a nutrient-dense, minimally processed food that our ancestors would have recognized and valued. The first humans who consumed cacao did so in its raw form, long before it was mixed with sugar and turned into the modern chocolate we know today. These early societies consumed cacao as a drink or paste, rich in healthy fats, antioxidants, and minerals—foods that contributed to health, not detracted from it. In this way, cacao belongs to the same class of unprocessed, ancestral foods that allowed our species to thrive.
Cacao: A True Paleo Food
When we talk about Paleo or ancestral eating, we’re referring to foods that mimic the natural diet of pre-agricultural humans. These foods are free of modern-day processing and artificial ingredients, focusing instead on the nutrient-dense options that have sustained human health for millennia. While many mistakenly lump all plant foods into the same category as leafy greens and starches, not all plant-based foods carry the same evolutionary baggage.
Cacao, unlike modern cultivars of plants that have been bred for higher sugar content or easier harvesting, is a true Paleo food. It’s rich in antioxidants and healthy fats, nutrients our ancestors would have appreciated. Early civilizations, like the ancient Mayans and Aztecs, used cacao in its most natural form as a health-promoting food. It was consumed not only for its taste but for its medicinal properties, used to promote physical strength, endurance, and mental clarity. These ancient practices reflect a deeper understanding of cacao’s role as a functional food—one that complements the kind of high-protein, high-fat diet that has always formed the basis of human health.
The Problem with Modern Chocolate: Cacao Hijacked by Processed Sugar
Unfortunately, the modern industrial food system has taken cacao—this naturally powerful food—and mixed it with refined sugar, milk powders, and processed oils, creating a product that is far from the nutrient-dense superfood it once was. Today’s chocolate, often laden with sugar and chemicals, is more of a dessert or candy than a health food. The bitter, rich flavors of pure cacao are drowned in sweetness, turning what was once a nutritious food into an unhealthy, addictive treat.
This is where the modern use of cacao diverges from its ancestral roots. Sugar—a relatively new introduction to the human diet—has hijacked cacao’s true potential. In fact, until relatively recently, humans consumed almost no refined sugar. Our ancestors relied on the natural sweetness found in seasonal fruits, honey, and the occasional indulgence of wild sources. The introduction of processed sugars, especially when mixed with fats and cacao to create modern chocolate, has been disastrous for human health, contributing to metabolic diseases like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
At Goodnight’s Red River, we reject this modern misuse of cacao. We’re committed to preserving its original, health-promoting properties by keeping it pure, unsweetened, and unprocessed—just as our ancestors would have consumed it. When used in its raw form, cacao provides powerful health benefits that perfectly complement our animal-based approach, offering a nutrient-rich addition to our protein-packed meals and fat-forward snacks.
Evolutionary Mismatch: The Real Culprits—Grains, Starches, and Leafy Greens
While cacao holds its place in our ancestral diet, many of the foods promoted by modern health trends—such as grains, starches, and leafy greens—do not. These foods, often touted as “healthy” or essential for modern diets, are relatively new introductions to the human food landscape. Grains, which form the basis of most processed foods, only entered the human diet with the advent of agriculture around 10,000 years ago. This is a blink in evolutionary time, and our bodies are not fully adapted to processing the high carbohydrate loads and anti-nutrients found in many grains and leafy greens.
Similarly, starchy foods and modern varieties of leafy greens have been selectively bred for higher sugar content and better yields, stripping away much of their original nutrient density. These foods—far removed from the wild plants our ancestors might have encountered—offer little in the way of essential nutrients and are often linked to gut issues, inflammation, and metabolic imbalances.
In contrast, cacao, when consumed in its pure, unprocessed form, is free from these modern pitfalls. It is not laden with anti-nutrients, excess starch, or sugars. Instead, it offers the same kinds of benefits as the foods we prioritize in our animal-based diet—clean, nutrient-dense energy that supports overall health.
The Right Way to Use Cacao in Our Animal-Based Approach
While our core diet is based on animal products, we see cacao as a valuable complement to the fats, proteins, and minerals provided by grass-fed meats, pasture-raised eggs, and wild-caught fish. Used correctly, cacao can be a powerful addition to an animal-based diet, providing antioxidants, minerals, and healthy fats that enhance the nutrient density of our meals.
Imagine blending pure cacao into a protein-rich smoothie, pairing it with nutrient-dense nuts like macadamias, or using it in a sugar-free dessert that’s rich in healthy fats from pasture-raised cream or ghee. These are the kinds of applications that allow cacao to shine—using it as a way to enhance our ancestral diet, not detract from it with processed sugars or additives.
Returning to What’s Natural
At Goodnight’s Red River, we’re committed to helping people return to the kinds of foods that our ancestors thrived on—foods that are whole, unprocessed, and packed with the nutrients our bodies need. Cacao, when used in its purest form, fits right into this approach. It’s a natural superfood that has been prized by humans for thousands of years, offering health benefits that complement the nutrient-dense meats, fats, and dairy products that form the cornerstone of our diet.
By embracing cacao as part of our animal-based approach, we honor its place in human history while rejecting the modern misuse of this powerful food. Together, we can enjoy cacao the way our ancestors did—pure, unsweetened, and full of health benefits that fuel both body and mind. It’s time to take back cacao from the sugar-laden chocolate bars of today and restore it to its rightful place as a natural, nutrient-dense superfood that supports your journey to optimal health.