Contents
Varieties of chocolate
Chocolate fondant, Stone chocolate… Are they dark chocolate?
Usually, the first ingredient of chocolate tablets is sugar, which tells us that they have little cocoa and too much sugar. Pure cocoa is very bitter and practically can not be eaten if it is not sweetened, so in the confection of chocolate large amounts of sugar that can reach 50% of the composition or more are used.
Sometimes dark chocolate has misleading slogans, with words like “fondant” or “chocolate to stone”, but when we see the ingredients we realize that they contain mainly sugar. In authentic dark chocolates, advertising is usually very good: 70% cocoa (or higher).
Dark chocolate label with lots of sugar. We see that it is called “dark chocolate” but if we consult its ingredients it mainly contains sugar, which is the first ingredient named.
Properties of milk chocolate
The addition of milk to chocolate lowers the concentration of its principles and makes it less antioxidant. It appears that milk proteins bind to antioxidants and make it difficult to absorb them.
You should consult on the label what proportion of cocoa it contains. In many brands sugar is the first ingredient. It is recommended to look for brands that provide more cocoa than sugar or milk.
Pure chocolate is the one with the most antioxidant properties and the one that should be eaten for more benefits. It should be noted that the same studies indicate that the dose of chocolate that should be eaten should be very small and should not exceed a daily square to avoid that other detrimental effects of this food can outweigh its benefits.
Chocolate with nuts, energetic combination
Chocolate with nuts is the one that carries, as its own denomination indicates, some kind of nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, Brazil nuts,…etc.
It is usually more energetic and also provides more magnesium and fiber than chocolate.
You should consult on the label what proportion of cocoa it contains
Another option is to prepare it yourself in a homemade way, the procedure is as simple as preparing the molten chocolate and putting it in a mold with nuts or other ingredients: raisins, nuts, spices, etc.
Is fructose chocolate better?
Fructose was advertised as a remedy for diabetes because it was said that its consumption does not raise blood glucose levels. However it is still a simple type of sugar that produces cavities, provides a lot of energy and raises triglycerides and cholesterol.
The only reason it does not raise glucose is simply because it is not glucose, but fructose, but both are sugars and have the same drawbacks. In fact, excess of fructose is more harmful than glucose (the metabolic pathway is poorly controlled), so it is being discontinued.
Sugar-free chocolate, with sweeteners
Currently there are many chocolates that incorporate in their composition sweeteners without calories instead of added sugars. This is a good option to avoid excess sugars from the diet, but it should be noted that sweeteners, such as mannitol, erythritol and other polyols, in excess are laxatives. So, as with chocolate with sugar, you can not overeat.
Cocoa powder label for children, which dissolves in milk. It contains 11 g sugar per serving that amounts 2 tablespoons (14 g) That is about 78 % sugar. It is preferable not to sugar the milk.
Types of chocolate powder
Chocolate powder is marketed to dilute in cold or hot milk and take in breakfast or snack. In hot chocolate, flours or starches are added to thicken. Most cocoa powder on the market contains more than 50% sugar, even some brands reach 75% sugar. Therefore it is not a recommendable product.
On the one hand it is an expensive product, because it contains mainly sugar (it is the first ingredient).
In addition, these products often use unfair advertising because they use toys and drawings to attract the attention of children. It is a common practice that some of these brands make announcements to show the new toys they carry in their package, mainly from the cartoon series of of the moment, instead of announcing cocoa powder.
Adding 2-3 tablespoons of this cocoa powder to the milk contributes to adding 2-3 tablespoons of sugar, which is not recommended daily.
For this reason, other options are more advisable, such as using pure cocoa or changing breakfast for yogurt with fruit, fruit smoothies with yogurt, sandwich, porridge, etc., without resorting to sugared milk every day.
White chocolate: Is it chocolate?
White chocolate lovers should know that it is not healthy or natural, but a pure mixture of lots of sugar with lots of milk fat and a little cocoa butter (sometimes even with no cocoa). In no diet is recommended a product based on sugar and pure fat, so if consumed should be on an occasional basis.
More information on cocoa and chocolate
