Buying Dark Chocolate
|
Keep these things in mind when looking for healthy chocolate:
- LOOK FOR 70 PERCENT COCOA OR HIGHER: The cocoa contains the flavonoids. Note that milk chocolate may have no more than 10 percent cocoa and pure baker’s chocolate is too bitter for eating out of hand.
Many people find 70 percent cocoa somewhat bitter at first but soon come to appreciate the richer taste and lack of sugar. With the intense flavor of higher cocoa content, a small portion can easily satisfy your cravings for this healthy candy. - FREE OF ADDED SATURATED FATS: Should contain cocoa butter instead of milk fats or hydrogenated oils: (ingredients that replace the truly healthful nutrients in cocoa). This is critical to make dark chocolate healthy.
- FREE OF WHITE REFINED SUGAR: Should contain natural sweeteners such as raw cane.
- CAFFEINE-FREE: Caffeine can cause headaches, insomnia, and nervousness in some people.
- HAS NOT BEEN ALKALIZED: Many chocolates are processed using a procedure known as “Dutching” which neutralizes the chocolate’s acidic flavor; however, this process also removes most of the natural polyphenols (a potent antioxidant).
- HAS BEEN COLD-PROCESSED: Just as honey should be bought cold-pressed because it loses its healing properties when it is heated…the same goes for dark chocolate. When chocolate is prepared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, its antioxidant compounds are destroyed.
- Keeping dark chocolate healthy will require you to AVOID MILK : It may taste good but some research (scroll down to “dairy effects”) shows that washing your chocolate down with a glass of milk could prevent the antioxidants being absorbed or used by your body.
When buying healthy dark chocolate, keep these things in mind. Yes, there is such a thing as healthy candy. However the information provided here is required for keeping dark chocolate healthy.
Return to Dark Chocolate from Buying Dark Chocolate
