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Put
chocolate hype into perspective
Feb. 08, 2007
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Don’t
fall for the hype. Chocolate is not a health food.
Once again, headlines are proclaiming studies funded by the
multi-billion-dollar chocolate industry that have found suggestions
of possible benefits from specially produced cocoa bars.
Read that again. Don’t miss the words “suggestions”
and “possible.”
But journalists, looking for another feel-good story for the
Valentine’s Day, are tripping over their keyboards,
gushing over the wish that chocolate might be good for you.
Sure, chocolate is made from a plant, and most plants contain
beneficial components. Like red wine, fruits and vegetables,
cocoa beans used to make chocolate contain flavonoids, antioxidants
that may reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.
But most of the flavonoids in cocoa are removed in processing
and never even make it to most candy bars. Even if they did,
the cholesterol-raising fat, sugar and empty calories in chocolate
make it a poor nutritional bargain.
Specially produced dark chocolates are the focus of industry
research, which has teased out hints of yet-to-be-confirmed
health benefits upon which mounds of marketing have been built.
You’ll see these high-priced chocolate bars in some
grocery stores. They’re a waste of your money.
So what’s a chocolate lover to do?
Enjoy a little chocolate now and then, but be realistic about
how much and how often you eat it. One 2-ounce Snickers bar
contains 280 calories, and a dozen Hershey’s kisses
add up to more than 300 calories. A 150-pound person would
need to walk at a moderate pace for close to an hour and a
half to burn off that number of calories.
A better alternative? Make a little bit of chocolate go a
long way. Instead of eating a big chunk, get the same flavor
with less. For example:
* Make it a minor ingredient. Add a handful of mini chocolate
chips to a batch of oatmeal cookies, whole grain banana muffins,
quick breads, pancakes, and granola or other whole grain breakfast
cereals.
* Use it as a dip. Fresh chunks of pineapple, pears, apples,
and whole strawberries are nutritious and filling. Dip the
ends of fruit pieces into melted chocolate – as you
would dip a forkful of salad into dressing served on the side
– and you’ll get the taste of chocolate with relatively
few added calories. Pretzels and angelfood cake are also low
in calories and good for dipping.
* Garnish with it. Chill a chunk of chocolate, then shave
or grate it over cooked oatmeal or a bowl of rice pudding.
Or, make chocolate curls by warming a piece of chocolate in
your hand and cutting thin, long slices with a paring knife
or vegetable peeler.
* Substitute lighter varieties. Hershey’s chocolate-flavor
syrup, for example, contains 100 calories in a tablespoon,
but there’s no artery-clogging fat. Cocoa powder –
made from ground cocoa seeds, with most of the cocoa butter
removed – is another versatile ingredient. It’s
bitter as is, but sifted into cake flour or used in other
recipes, it adds intense chocolate flavor with far less fat
and calories.
Other ways to satisfy a chocolate craving: Simple sorbets
made with water, sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla. A mug of
hot chocolate – mixed with water, skim milk or soymilk
– is another good choice for chocolate lovers. Vary
it by adding strong coffee, a shake of cinnamon or some grated
orange rind.
Keep chocolate facts in perspective. Chocolate is candy, not
a health food. Enjoy it, but don’t eat too much.
And if you insist on seeking out some heart-healthy flavonoids,
eat an apple or banana instead.
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