My kind of rainbow
I think Forest Gump said it best…
History Buffs… here is a brief summary of the history of chocolate
Chocolate.. so many different colors, shapes and variations. In a gooey fondue, in a smoothie, in a slice of cake. However you like it, you make sure to enjoy every last morsel. Especially on one of its most celebrated Holidays — Valentine’s Day! So, this month, I decided to take my love affair with chocolate a little deeper and explore… everything from the history to the nutritional content of all types, ranging from light to dark. However, I knew I could not do this on my own, so I asked our lovely Dieteician, Brooke Pearson, to assist me in answering some questions about one of the world’s most highly celebrated delicacies. Take a look below to see our interview, “Brooke-to-Brooke,” about the sweet: what it can do for you, how much of it you should be (or should NOT be!) eating, and different recipes to try. Again, Brooke, thank you so much for all of the time and effort you put into helping me put together this post! The Butler Rec Staff announces you as the “Chocolate Diva!”
1. Could you give us a nutritional breakdown/range for chocolate? Perhaps going from lightest to darkest. Which is the better option and why?
Chocolate varies in the amount of cocoa, sugar and fat content it contains. The lightest chocolate, white chocolate does not contain any cocoa solids, only cocoa butter (20%). Those that contain cacao range in the percentage of cacao they contains with the highest percentage being for unsweetened (100%) followed by bittersweet (35-99%), sweet (15-34%) and milk chocolate (10%). The Ghirardelli chocolate company further describes describes the different types of chocolate as follows:
Unsweetened Chocolate (100% Cacao Content)
- Unsweetened Chocolate is also called chocolate liquor. It is made from finely ground roasted cocoa nibs.
- Can be natural or dutch (alkalized).
Bittersweet Chocolate (35-99% Cacao Content)
- Many types and brands of chocolate will fit into this category ranging from 35% cacao content to 99% cacao content. It must also contain at least 35% unsweetened chocolate and less than 12% milk solids.
- This category has many names including Bittersweet, Semi-Sweet, Dark, Extra Dark or Extra Bittersweet Chocolate.
- Generally, Bittersweet chocolate has an unsweetened chocolate content of 50% or more and Semi-sweet chocolate contains 35-45% unsweetened chocolate.
Sweet Chocolate (15-34% Cacao Content)
- Sweet Chocolate contains at least 15% unsweetened chocolate and less than 12% milk solids. Sweet Chocolate is more commonly called Dark Chocolate, although it has a lower cacao content than Bittersweet Chocolate.
Milk Chocolate
- Milk Chocolate contains at least 10% unsweetened chocolate, 12% milk solids, and 3.39% milk fat.
White Chocolate
- Previously there were no legal standards to define White Chocolate. The Standards of Identity recently created a legal definition to provide consumers with more information. White Chocolate must contain at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% milk solids, and 3.5% milk fat.
Source: http://ghirardelli.com/recipes-tips/chocopedia/chocolate-varieties, accessed February 9, 2013.
As far as the best type, the higher the cocoa percentage, the more flavonoids it contains. Flavonoids are antioxidants that contribute to the health benefits of chocolate; antioxidants help prevent cell damage. The research suggests that in order to obtain these benefits, the chocolate must contain at least 60% cocoa. However, the more processed the chocolate, the fewer flavonoids it contains. In other words, choosing a square of 85% dark chocolate will have more flavonoids than a dark chocolate candy bar! Cocoa powder itself is very high in flavonoids, unless it has been “Dutch processed.” This type of chocolate is processed to remove its acidity and sometimes called for in recipes that use cocoa.
The bottom line: Not enough studies have been conducted to say just how much of dark chocolate one has to eat to reap the health benefits of it. So, as with most other foods, moderation is key; 1 ounce, 3-4 times a week reasonable.
2. What are some common health benefits of chocolate (both internal and external)?
The health benefits of chocolate come from the flavonoids, a type of antioxidant it contains. Some of the benefits of consuming high levels of flavanols, the specific type of flavonoid contained in high amounts in chocolate and cocoa, include: improved vascular health by lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow to the brain and heart and reducing the chance of blood clots caused by platelets. All fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants, and apples, cranberries, peanuts, onions, tea and red wine are other good sources of flavanols. So, while eating dark chocolate may contribute to heart health, it should not be consumed as a substitute for fruits and vegetables!
3. A lot of us have heard about dark chocolate being a smart option, considering it has antioxidants. What would the ideal serving be and how “dark” (how much cacao) do you really need?
A serving size of chocolate is considered 1 oz. This is the equivalent about two squares of chocolate that measure 1 3/4 inches and are about a 1/4 inch thick. In other words; it is about the same size as a package of dental floss. In order to achieve health benefits from eating chocolate, the cocoa content should be 60% or higher. This percentage is usually listed on the package and indicates the percentage of cocoa solids that are contained in the chocolate. In contrast, white chocolate does not contain cocoa solids at all, but is made from cocoa butter, and therefore does not have the health benefits that dark chocolate has. Since much of the research has been done using unsweetened dark chocolate (and most people consume dark chocolate with added fat and sugar), more studies need to be done before a specific amount can be recommended for health benefits.
**The Hershey website also has LOTS of information on studies being conducted on chocolate, but I did not have time to comb through them. The section for professionals provides the most detailed info if you want to check it out.
4. Chocolate milk has been known to be a prime post-workout beverage, especially for athletes. What makes it better than other options such as a Sports Drink (i.e. Powerade)?
According to Coca-Cola™, Powerade ION4 contains: “Water, glucose, fructose, citric acid, mineral salts (sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium phosphate), flavourings, acidity regulator (potassium citrate), stabilisers (acacia gum, glycerol esters of wood rosins), sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame K), colour (brilliant blue).” This blend of water, carbohydrate and electrolytes also contains artificial sweeteners and coloring. Chocolate milk which contains water (in the milk), sodium and sugar (as carbohydrate) provides the fluid and electrolytes that are needed in a sports drink, but is also a good source of protein, calcium, and Vitamins A and D. When exercising more than 45-60 minutes, it can be beneficial to replenish not only fluid and electrolytes, but also glycogen stores by ingesting carbohydrate. There is also some evidence to suggest that consuming dietary protein within a hour of exercise increases muscle protein synthesis in athletes, provided they consume adequate energy throughout the day (1). The bottom line: Both drinks will provide the essential nutrients lost in sweat during intense workouts; however, chocolate milk also contains other important vitamins and minerals needed to fuel an athletes body. I think there is a place for both in an athlete’s training program when water, alone, is not enough.
Source: http://www.coca-cola.ie/brands/powerade.html, accessed February 9, 2013.
(1) Rosenbloom, Christine A. and Coleman, Ellen J. Sports Nutrition, A Practice Manual for Professionals, 5th ed. American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2012.
5. (Follow-up): Is there a particular brand of chocolate milk you would buy, or is it better to make your own?
Prefer to make it on my own. My personal preference is to make my own chocolate milk for myself and my kids. I do this because 1) it is less expensive and 2) I can control how much chocolate (and therefore added sugar) goes into the milk. Some powdered mixes like Ovaltine come in different flavors like chocolate malt and are fortified with vitamins and minerals similar to Carnation® Instant Breakfast. Others, like Nesquick, have varieties that have 25% less sugar. Pre-made varieties vary widely and it’s best to choose low-fat (1%) and non-fat varieties. I prefer the taste of those made with real sugar to high-fructose corn syrup, but science has yet to prove that the latter is any more harmful to our health than large amounts than sugar are.
6. Do you have a favorite chocolate recipe that you would like to share with us?
Yes – flourless chocolate cake. I’d like to think that the the cocoa cancels out all of the butter, but I know better! It’s a once a year birthday treat, so I indulge and enjoy every bite! We’ve tried several different recipes over the years, but our current favorite comes from Whole Foods Market.
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH DARK CHOCOLATE GLAZE
Ingredients:
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 3 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
1 1/4 cup sugar
6 eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
Method:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray, too, then set the pan aside.
Place two-thirds (8 ounces) of the chocolate and 1 cup (2 sticks) of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Stirring often, melt chocolate with butter until completely blended. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. (Alternatively, you may use your microwave to melt the butter with the chocolate, if desired). Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Sift cocoa into bowl and stir until just blended.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake has risen and top has formed a thin crust. The cake should be just firm in the center when done. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate, removing sides of springform pan. Remove and discard parchment paper and set cake aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze. Melt remaining 4 ounces chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, then stir in milk, honey and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly.
When cake has cooled, pour glaze onto the center. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, very gently smooth glaze along the top and sides of the cake. Chill cake, uncovered, for 30 to 60 minutes before serving to set the glaze and make the cake easier to slice.
Nutritional Info:
PER SERVING:Serving size: 1 slice, 440 calories (300 from fat), 34g total fat, 19g saturated fat,155mg cholesterol, 40mg sodium, 40g carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 32g sugar), 7g protein
Special Diets: Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Wheat Free
Note: We’ve provided special diet and nutritional information for educational purposes. But remember — we’re cooks, not doctors! You should follow the advice of your health-care provider. And since product formulations change, check product labels for the most recent ingredient information.
7. Following up on that question, are there any non-dessert recipes you use for chocolate?
Yes – My husband is the chili cook in our house, and he often adds a small amount of chocolate to the batch. While there is definitely not a chocolate taste to the chili, it adds a hint of flavor and richness that is otherwise not there. It is a secret ingredient of sorts! Chocolate is also used in other savory dishes like a traditional Mexican mole sauce.
8. Does heating up chocolate (i.e. fondue) or freezing it (i.e. cold chocolate bar) change the nutritional value?
What is more likely to change the nutrient profile (making it more or less healthy) is what is added to it (sugar, nuts, carmel, milk solids, etc.). Freezing does not usually alter vitamins and minerals to any extent (frozen vegetables and fruit are equally good, if not sometimes better than fresh due to be flash frozen while they are fresh). Typically, some B-vitamins and Vitamin C may be sensitive to light or heat (e.g., Riboflavin is light sensitive and Vitamin C is heat sensitive). However, chocolate does not contain Vitamin C which could be affected by heating it in fondue.
9. What brand would you consider to carry/make the “healthiest” brand of chocolate?
I don’t think there is any one brand of chocolate that is better than the others; it is really a matter of personal preference. I am a dark chocolate lover, and sometimes it can taste ‘chalky’ and not melt in your mouth like milk chocolate usually does. The better brands tend to have a silkier, smoother mouthfeel. What makes chocolate ‘healthier’ is the percentage of cocoa it has in it (as a result, it also has less sugar). The candy melts and icings that are used to coat cake pops or mold into fun shapes are a different story. These often contain hydrogenated oil in order to provide a consistency that molds, coats or spreads well. I prefer to make my own icings and chocolate sauce for this reason.
10. What is it about chocolate that makes us so happy?
While most of the research that chocolate makes us feel “happy” is anecdotal, recent studies are aimed at how consuming chocolate and cocoa may affect our mood. One possibility is a chemical in chocolate called, phenylethylamine, that modern scientists have linked to feelings of attraction, excitement and pleasure. Several research studies have also shown that blood or oxygen flow to the brain increases in individuals who consume cocoa (1-3) and another illustrates a change in the brain’s electrical activity after chronic consumption of cocoa (4). Yet another study (5), showed that chocolate stimulates neural activity in the human brain in areas associated with pleasure and reward. This might partially explain how other research has shown that cocoa extracts have anti-depressant activity in rodents (6). The bottom line: it’s hard not to feel good when we are consuming chocolate, be it in the form of hot chocolate on a cold day or a slice of chocolate birthday cake. Scientists may soon have more answers to the biological mechanisms for why this may be, but in the interim, there is no harm in indulging a placebo affect; if you think it makes you feel happy, it just might!
Source: http://www.hersheys.com/nutrition-professionals/chocolate/chocolate-nutrition-and-health/health/cognition-mood2.aspx, accessed Feb 10, 2013
- Francis ST, Head K, Morris PG, Macdonald IA. The effect of flavanol-rich cocoa on the fMRI response to a cognitive task in healthy young people. J Cardiovascular Pharmacology 2006;47:S215.
- Sorond FA, Lipsitz LA, Hollenberg NK, Fisher NDL. Cerebral blood flow response to flavanol-rich cocoa in healthy elderly humans. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2008;4:433.
- Scholey AB, French SJ, Morris PJ, Kennedy DO, Milne AL, Haskell CF. Consumption of cocoa flavanols results in acute improvements in mood and cognitive performance during sustained mental effort. J Psychopharmacol 2009.
- Camfield DA, Scholey A, Pipingas A et al. Steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) topography changes associated with cocoa flavanol consumption. Physiology & Behavior 2011.
- Horder J, Harmer CJ, Cowen PJ, McCabe C. Reduced neural response to reward following 7 days treatment with the cannabinoid CB1 antagonist rimonabant in healthy volunteers. Int J Neuropsychopharmacology 2010;1-11.
- Messaoudi M, Bisson JF, Nejdi A, Rozan P, Javelot H. Antidepressant-like effects of a cocoa polyphenolic extract in Wistar-Unilever rats. Nutritional Neuroscience 2008;11:269.
11. If we were to compare the following snack options, which would be the best and why?
– 1 cup of fresh fruit (berries, sliced bananas, etc.) with 1/2 cup chocolate fondue
– Chocolate banana smoothie
– 1/2 cup chocolate frozen yogurt
– handful of chocolate covered almonds
None of these are bad choices, it just depends on what is most important to you from a nutrition perspective. From a calorie standpoint, the 1/2 cup of low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt would probably win at approximately 120 calories and 2.5g of fat, but not so much from a nutrient standpoint. It provides some calcium, but also added sugar, and no dietary fiber. The chocolate banana smoothie could be a winner, too, depending on what ingredients are in the smoothie and how much you consume. Your best bet is to use skim, low-fat or soymilk (regular or chocolate) and add your own cocoa powder and a little sweetener, if necessary. The fruit-based snacks are great in that they provide a full serving of fruit, as well as dietary fiber. However, I would limit the fondue (which is high in fat and calories) to 1/4 cup. The handful of almonds (~1/4 cup) come in just under 200 kcal and contain some heart healthy fats and protein. However, you should read the label for the ingredients on the chocolate coating; these frequently contain some trans fat from hydrogenated oil which is not heart healthy.
12. I personally have always wondered: Do you know why chocolate is so strongly associated with Valentine’s Day?
No, but it’s a good question! After doing a little of my own research, here’s what I found: Christopher Columbus is credited with bringing chocolate back to Spain where it quickly spread throughout Europe and eventually America. During his travels in Latin America, he notice how revered the cocoa bean and chocolate were, especially among the affluent Mayan and Aztecs; chocolate was literally ‘a gift for the gods.’ It was also considered to be an aphrodisiac, thus strengthening its association with with love and romance. Because consuming chocolate was an expensive pleasure, the Aztecs used the beans as currency, in a sense, a form of ‘gifting.’ It wasn’t until the 1800’s, when the Cadbury Brothers in England began to package chocolate candies for the average citizen, that the idea of giving chocolate for Valentine’s Day became popular. In 1861, their ingenious heart-shaped box of chocolates was first marketed and can now be found on the shelves of nearly every store around Valentine’s Day.
Source: http://live.gourmet.com/2011/02/the-history-of-valentines-day-chocolate/, accessed February 10, 2012.
13. Do you have a favorite chocolate indulgence?
I am a chocolate lover, but my two favorite chocolate desserts are my birthday treat, a flourless chocolate cake, and a molten chocolate ‘lava’ cake – the kinds that looks like a small chocolate cake, but when you put a fork into it, gooey, warm chocolate flows out. These are special occasion indulgences for me, but for better or worse, I do eat a small amount of plain, dark chocolate almost daily!
14. I know you have studied abroad in Germany in the past. What were chocolate options like there and how were they different from the U.S.?
I can’t tell you how much chocolate my host family sent home with me after my stay, or how much they bring each time I see them! The most familiar brands from my stay there would be Ritter Sport (my Dad’s favorite), Kinder (they make Kinder Eier, or “kids eggs” that come with a toy inside the chocolate egg) and Milke (a favorite of my German school friends). It used to be that these were hard to find in the U.S., but with places like Amazon.com and more foreign foods and confections in US specialty and mainstream groceries, everything is more accessible than it was 12 years ago. Having not been to Germany in several years, I can not really make an accurate comparison anymore. However, I remember that the grocery isle of chocolate in the small German town where I lived was filled with an endless supply of different varieties. If you put into perspective the size of the average German grocery store, compared to the United States, it says a lot about their love for chocolate!
a household staple in my childhood
15. How much of “hot chocolate” drink mix is really chocolate?
It is difficult to say, since this information is not usually disclosed on the packages or labels of chocolate drink mixes. While Americans often use the terms “hot chocolate” and “hot cocoa” interchangeably, they are considered different beverages in other countries. “Hot chocolate” is really ground chocolate (often semi-sweet) and already contains cocoa, sugar and some cocoa butter. It is then mixed with hot milk to create a beverage. “Hot cocoa” is made from cocoa powder, a sweetener (sugar or artificial) and usually a handful of other ingredients that could include: added vitamins and minerals, milk solids, and even commonly, partially-hydrogenated oils. While some research has shown health benefits from drinking cocoa-containing beverages, this is a hard question to answer without more information from the manufacturers. However, I think looking at the ingredient label before choosing a hot cocoa mix can give you some insight. For my kids, I like to use mixes like Ovaltine®, Nesquik® and Carnation® to which you add your own milk. While they do contain sugar, they do not contain added unhealthy trans or saturated fats like most of the “hot chocolate” packages. Some come in reduced-sugar varieties (even though sugar still tops the ingredient list). An even better option is to make your own mix by combining cocoa powder (1 Tablespoon) and sugar (1- 1 1/2 Tablespoon(s)) with a 1/4 cup of hot water, mix ,and then add 3/4 cup hot 1% or skim milk.
So, there you have it! Again Brooke, thank you so much; Honestly, I was salivating while putting this post together. What type of chocolate do you crave? Please feel free to share any recipes/uses/facts on this wonderful treat and this Valentine’s Day, just remember, dateless or not, there is always chocolate. So, treat yourself (just remember your portions!)
Speaking of different types, here are some fabulous Wonka Bars I found in Liverpool!
This Valentine’s Day, mix it with love and make the world taste good — A wonderful theory everyone should abide by from one of my personally favorite all-time movies, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
