It is official, chocolate is good for you! However, it has to be dark and consumed in moderation.
According to the August issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource eating one square of dark chocolate a day offers certain health benefits that come from flavonoids. These naturally occurring antioxidants have been associated with a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. One recent study showed that 6 grams, or about one square of dark chocolate a day, lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 2 points each.
If you are planning to introduce this new healthy snack in your diet remember that the chocolate should contain be dark (at least 60 percent cocoa) and have no more than 30 calories per square.
Being a big dark chocolate lover The Food Coach took a special pleasure in tasting the entries for the list of best buys below. Healthy snacking is so much fun!
Green & Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate(€2.90 - €3.20)
Good: 70% cocoa solids. Small squares, contain 18cal each. Average fat content
Bad: No nutrition data per square as a serving unit. High sugar content (29.4g per 100g)
Verdict: The Food Coach likes the small size of the squares, which makes it easier to measure the right serving size.
Tesco Amazonian Plain Chocolate (0.99cent)
Good: 60% cocoa solids. Good taste with a hint of herbs
Bad: 2 squares are used as a serving unit, which makes it more confusing to read the nutrition information. High sugar content (~4g per square). Large squares, 55cal each
Verdict: The Food Coach is not very happy with the sugar content and would resist using it as a regular healthy snack. Make it a naughty occasional treat instead!
Tesco Organic Dominican Republic Plain chocolate (€1.49)
Good: 85% cocoa solids. Low sugar content (1.3g per square) and high in protein
Bad: High saturated fat content. Large squares, 59cal each
Verdict: The Food Coach loves the intense cocoa taste and balanced flavours. Have half a square at a time. Value for money.
No comments:
Post a Comment