A healthy diet with chocolate?

Chocolate has been known to Europeans for a relatively short time, it has permanently entered the continent’s culinary repertoire in the second half of XIX century. Chocolate, beloved by many, was attributed with healing properties. Can chocolate turn out to be a healthy dessert?

The health-promoting properties of chocolate are strictly dependent on the chosen product type. Cocoa beans contain many active compounds, potentially beneficial for health, including a certain dose of substances affecting the mood: anandamide, caffeine, phenylethylamine and magnesium. Cocoa contains biogenic amine precursors that affect the brain’s neurotransmitters and have a beneficial effect on endorphin production, among other properties. Chocolate is a very rich source of polyphenols, which belong to the group of substances with antioxidant activity. Cocoa powder contains up to 50 mg polyphenols per gram. A cup of hot chocolate or 30 g of chocolate has been shown to have antioxidant activity comparable to 100 ml of red wine.

But how do you choose good quality chocolate? The rule is – the higher percentage of cocoa in the chocolate product, the better quality it is and more health benefits it has. Unfortunately, milk, white or filled chocolates often have a much more ingredients and a greater amount of sugar than bitter chocolates, and thus, are less beneficial to health. Products of this type can cause a rapid increase of blood sugar, have a high glycemic index, and their consumption increases the feeling of hunger. Dark chocolate (with at least 80% cocoa) has a completely different effect, it can be classified as a source of fat, but not carbohydrates. It has a low glycemic index, therefore it’s acceptable in the right amount in the diet of people suffering from diabetes or Lyme disease. For comparison, a bar of 100g of dark chocolate with 85% cocoa is less than 2 carbohydrate exchanges, while milk chocolate is 5.5. Bitter chocolate included in the calorie restricted diet can also support the slimming process, as it ensures satiety and reduces cravings for sweets.

Product

weight [g]

energy [kcal]

proteins [g]

fat [g]

carb. og.[g]

  Chocolate 100% cocoa

100

650.0

12.0

60.0

8.0

  Chocolate 85% cocoa

100

530.0

11.0

46.0

19.0

  White chocolate

100

580.0

7.7

38.4

51.0

  Milk chocolate

100

552.0

9.8

32.8

54.7

  Ruby chocolate (uncolored, derived from   pink cocoa beans)

100

564.0

9.3

35.9

49.7

Healthy Cocoa Cream Recipe:

Avocadonella (or healthy nutella)

Recipe for 3 servings: in a blender blend together avocado, banana, peanut butter, cocoa, honey and dates (seedless and very soft) to a chocolate cream. Level of sweetness can be regulated with dates and honey. Soft Medjool dates are best suited for this recipe, but you can also use ordinary dates, boiled in water for a few minutes.

 Ingredient    Weight [g]   Measurement
 Avocado    70    Half of a fruit
 Banana    115    1 medium fruit
 Cocoa    12    3,5 teaspoons
 Bee honey    28    2 teaspoons
 Peanut butter    20    1 spoon
 Dates    20    2 fruits