Feb. 1 is National Dark Chocolate Day, and you may have heard that dark chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate or white chocolate. I would say “that depends”.
It’s true that cocoa has been found to contain nutrients that can be beneficial to our health. These include minerals like iron, zinc, selenium and magnesium. These minerals together and individually can help support brain health, immunity, muscle and nerve function, wound healing and cardiovascular health.
While cocoa beans have those features, the chocolate that is made from cocoa beans contains added sugars and fats. The cocoa bean itself is a source of saturated fat (cocoa butter) which isn’t healthy for our heart and can raise inflammation.
Dark chocolate (at least 72% cocoa) contains less fat and sugar than milk chocolate or white chocolate. It’s thought to be healthier for us but still contains sugar and unhealthy fat. There is however a product that provides all the benefits of cocoa without any of the drawbacks, and that is cocoa powder.
Cocoa powder is made by roasting the cocoa bean, extracting the cocoa nibs, milling them and then pressing them to remove the cocoa butter. The resulting cake is broken down into cocoa powder.
Cocoa powder is used in all types of chocolate flavored confections like cakes, cookies and brownies, but how can it be used without adding sugar and saturated fat? Here are some ideas:
- Black Forest Oatmeal: Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder and a tablespoon of almond butter to a single serving of oatmeal along with a cup frozen dark sweet cherries. You can stir in a little maple syrup if you feel it needs more sweetness – it will still be far less sugar than what’s in a chocolate bar.
- Smoothies: Add a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder to your fruit smoothie. My favorite is frozen bananas or cherries with some almond milk.
- Microwave Brownie: Mash a very ripe banana in a small microwave bowl or cup. Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and two tablespoons of cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Microwave on high for about 90 seconds (more or less.) Makes one generous or two small servings.
One note about our insatiable appetite for all things chocolate. Not all cocoa producers follow sustainable practices or treat their farmers and workers well. If you care about things like the environment and human rights, please look for products that are labeled Fairtrade.
Sherry DeWalt is the healthy lifestyles coordinator for the CGH Health Foundation in Sterling.