People often think that eating chocolate is unhealthy due to its sweetness. Actually, chocolate has some pretty good benefits for the body. So, what are some healthy ways to enjoy chocolate?
Before we dive into that, let’s talk about chocolate. Chocolate is a processed food or drink made from cocoa products. Fermented and dried cocoa beans go through several stages of processing to produce cocoa liquor, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter. These ingredients are then mixed according to a specific composition to produce the desired type of chocolate.
Here is an overview of the 3 common types of chocolate:
- Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is a type of chocolate with the highest cocoa solids content. This type of chocolate has a dark blackish color and a more bitter taste. It contains flavonoids, which function as antioxidants and are said to prevent free radicals from causing harm to the body.
- Milk chocolate
Milk chocolate is a popular type of chocolate. Containing cocoa solids, milk powder, sugar, and lecithin, its flavor is preferred by many people.
- White chocolate
- White chocolate is a controversial chocolate product. It comes in ivory white, which is the natural color of cocoa butter. Dueto this component, white chocolate has a very soft and creamy texture.
Now, how to choose the healthiest chocolate to consume?
- Choose chocolate with 70% or more cocoa content
Dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70% or more has the most flavanols.
However, keep in mind that the higher the cacao percentage, the more bitter the chocolate will taste.
- Read the nutritional information
The ingredient of each type of chocolate can only be known from the nutritional information. Therefore, pay attention to the nutritional composition of each chocolate packaging.
Chocolate has many benefits for our bodies. But that doesn’t excuse us to eat unlimited amount of chocolate. We need to monitor how much chocolate we eat to avoid overeating and to enjoy the benefits of chocolate. Know what chocolate to eat and how much to consume.
As much as you possibly can, choose chocolate with less sugar so you can enjoy the great benefits of chocolate. Bear in mind that chocolate contains vegetable fats which are high in calories. So please make sure that you consume it in moderation!
Reference:
https://hellosehat.com/nutrisi/fakta-gizi/jenis-cokelat/
“Peneliti Temukan Resep Cokelat Tertua di Inggris”. Antara. 2 September 2013.
Catatan Gastronomi: Kejadian Ekstrem Cokelat sebuah Laporan dan Esai: The New Yorker
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