At what % cacao does chocolate really have health benefits?

[gandpsmommy]

Or at least not so many detriments? I think if I could keep some really good chocolate in the house and eat just a little bit when I have cravings, it might help me to be more disciplined with not eating other sweets. It has to still taste like chocolate, though. Any ideas?

[gandpsmommy]

:lurk5:

[MomOfOneFunOne]

I can't point you to any sources but I seem to recall that it is 70% being a starting point and above that, better. I can't remember where I read that, though.

[MomOfOneFunOne]

Terri, I just googled "dark chocolate" healthy percentage and came up with several hits. Here's one http://www.med.umich.edu/UMIM/clinical/pyramid/chocolate.htm and yes, 70% seems to be the begining number.

 

We eat Green and Black's and love it. I'm hesitant to confess this but, shoot, just b/t you and me, here goes.

 

My daughter and I enjoy a square or two of green/blacks several afternoons/week. It's one of several afternoon pick-me-ups that we like. I don't drink coffee anymore but I drink a hot, dark, black beverave in lieu. My daughter likes a strongly ginger flavored tea. We each take a square of chocolate, oh, I"m so embarrassed!

 

We each take a square . . . Oh! you have to promise not to tell!

 

What will ppl think of me when they hear . . .

 

Okay, here it it. we each take a square of the already delicious chocolate and, yes we do, dip it in our beverage of choice. Mmmm it developes a wonderful soft, melty layer of heaven and we place the end of the chocolate in our impatiently waiting mouths then withdraw the chocolate holding back the melty portion with our lips. Is that clear? Ooooohhhhh, so good! then a sip or two of beverage, then repeat. Mmmm the delicious chocolate infused with the flavor of a delicious hot beverage.

 

I've done this with coffee and now my dark, black, hot coffe alternative for a long time (since I read French Women don't Get Fat back about last autumn or so) but only recently started tasting it with other wonderful flavors. It was my daughter's idea to try it with her ginger tea. Wonderful! While I don't really care for fruity/herb teas, I think it would be fabulous with raspberry tea, too.

 

More civilized people, and myself when in the presence of company or non-familly members can do it another way: take a tiny bite of the chocolate and hold it in your mouth for a second (just long enough so the ppl around you don't think you're sipping your bev with food in your mouth!) then take a sip.

 

One or two squares of chocolate is almost nothing in the calorie/fat department and it is delicious. At home, we call it "savoring chocolate" b/c it is definately for savoring: it isn't popped into the mouth, munched, swallowed. A couple of squares can be savored in this fashion for a good long time.

 

Alas, my secret is out. My relationship with chocolate . . . well, anyway, just b/t us . . . shhhhh!

 

Oh, I regularly buy 70% and find it delicious (especially as savored as above) but I've also had higher %ages and found them delicious as well.

 

Enjoy!

[gandpsmommy]

Terri, I just googled "dark chocolate" healthy percentage and came up with several hits. Here's one http://www.med.umich.edu/UMIM/clinical/pyramid/chocolate.htm and yes, 70% seems to be the begining number.

 

We eat Green and Black's and love it. I'm hesitant to confess this but, shoot, just b/t you and me, here goes.

 

My daughter and I enjoy a square or two of green/blacks several afternoons/week. It's one of several afternoon pick-me-ups that we like. I don't drink coffee anymore but I drink a hot, dark, black beverave in lieu. My daughter likes a strongly ginger flavored tea. We each take a square of chocolate, oh, I"m so embarrassed!

 

We each take a square . . . Oh! you have to promise not to tell!

 

What will ppl think of me when they hear . . .

 

Okay, here it it. we each take a square of the already delicious chocolate and, yes we do, dip it in our beverage of choice. Mmmm it developes a wonderful soft, melty layer of heaven and we place the end of the chocolate in our impatiently waiting mouths then withdraw the chocolate holding back the melty portion with our lips. Is that clear? Ooooohhhhh, so good! then a sip or two of beverage, then repeat. Mmmm the delicious chocolate infused with the flavor of a delicious hot beverage.

 

I've done this with coffee and now my dark, black, hot coffe alternative for a long time (since I read French Women don't Get Fat back about last autumn or so) but only recently started tasting it with other wonderful flavors. It was my daughter's idea to try it with her ginger tea. Wonderful! While I don't really care for fruity/herb teas, I think it would be fabulous with raspberry tea, too.

 

More civilized people, and myself when in the presence of company or non-familly members can do it another way: take a tiny bite of the chocolate and hold it in your mouth for a second (just long enough so the ppl around you don't think you're sipping your bev with food in your mouth!) then take a sip.

 

One or two squares of chocolate is almost nothing in the calorie/fat department and it is delicious. At home, we call it "savoring chocolate" b/c it is definately for savoring: it isn't popped into the mouth, munched, swallowed. A couple of squares can be savored in this fashion for a good long time.

 

Alas, my secret is out. My relationship with chocolate . . . well, anyway, just b/t us . . . shhhhh!

 

Oh, I regularly buy 70% and find it delicious (especially as savored as above) but I've also had higher %ages and found them delicious as well.

 

Enjoy!

 

Thanks! And you have nothing to be ashamed of, lol! I am not in the least bit shocked. It actually sounds quite delicious.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Now why would you be embarrassed? I truly admire you for being able to stop at one square or two. For me, I wouldn't be satisfied until I ate the entire stash. Then I would be sick, physically and remorsefully!

[Jill]

How funny, I'm a 70% chocolate-chocoholic myself and I just sent the recipe I use to a friend this morning. I don't know if it's 70% this way or not but it is strong, somewhat bitter like 70% and this way I eat some of the flaxseed and walnuts and things I should by putting them in this. You may also add a couple of pitted prunes to this to smooth it out a little if you wish or even a little bit of vanilla. For a quadrupled batch I put in about 5 or 6 prunes and probably more nuts in total than it calls for. Goes great with my English Breakfast Tea in the morning. Green and Black's chocolate is good too when I don't have this other stuff made.

 

notes in the recipe are the author's, not mine.

 

Chocolate Almond Bark

By Marie Sooklaris

 

4 T. (1/4 Cup) Virgin Coconut Oil

1-1.5 T. alkalized Cocoa Powder

2 oz. (by weight) almonds

1/4 t. stevia rebaudiana powder

 

First, put a cookie sheet in the freezer to prep it.

Place small pan or steel bowl with coconut oil on very low burner just enough to melt coconut butter but not for the purposes of heating it. In fact, remove from heat before all coconut butter melts. The ambient heat will finish the job. Stir to melt down the white gobs.

 

Add in cocoa powder and stevia and using rubber spatula, stir to combine and blend well. Taste chocolate mixture and adjust seasonings if needed. You might want to add more stevia, but add it in 1/8 or 1/16 teaspoon increments.

 

Chop or grind almonds (or other nut or combination of nuts and seeds, for that matter) to desired chunkiness or fineness (I used food processor for fine grind) If you want to, toast by placing in non-stick skillet on medium heat and stirring occasionally with spatula until they just warm or turn a little golden (to your preference).

 

Blend nuts (and/or nut/seed combo) into chocolate mixture.

 

Have chilled a metal bakeware lasagna or cake pan or pans in freezer for ten minutes or so. Remove from freezer and line with plastic wrap or wax paper. You may need to moisten side walls of pan with a finger's dab of water so plastic wrap sticks to it. Then pour chocolate/nut mixture into chilled pan and spread to desired thickness. Some like it thin and crackly. Some like it a little thicker. Try the thinner version first because I know that is popular.

 

Pop it in refrigerator or freezer on level shelf and let it sit 10 minutes or so. It will harden quickly and breaks with a snap and is so much fun to eat.

(It melts in your hand -- ! ! ! -- so you may want to handle it with plastic wrap. Or what I do is break it into bite size pieces and keep it in a container lined with plastic wrap in the fridge or freezer, that is if it lasts that long!)

 

Aside from almonds, I have used and like a combination of equal amounts of shredded coconut, macadamia nuts and almonds. Or toasted sesame seeds. Or add some flax meal as well (don't toast so you preserve the EFAs). Pecans, walnuts, whatever you like.Cocnt

[gandpsmommy]

Now why would you be embarrassed? I truly admire you for being able to stop at one square or two. For me, I wouldn't be satisfied until I ate the entire stash. Then I would be sick, physically and remorsefully!

 

 

This is me, too! I would be eating just one more, until they were all gone!

[MomOfOneFunOne]

This is me, too! I would be eating just one more, until they were all gone!

 

I don't know, you two . . . dark chocolate is different. For me, anyway, a little goes a long way. Now, chocolates, you know, the kind in the box with nutty or caramely or nougaty centers . . . I could eat the whole box at a time and never look back. Ohmygosh! a king size pkg of reese's cups is not enough! Dark chocolate, though, is different. It's so rich and easy to savor that I can truly eat that in moderation.

 

I don't dare keep other kinds of chocolate on hand b/c it would never be on hand. On hips, more like!

[Ferdie]

I think it is a great idea. Try it and see if it works for you. They have dark chocolate (60%) in the baking section of Walmart. It is only 70 calories for one square and it is the perfect treat after lunch or dinner.