How to Read a Chocolate Label
I've gone over a lot of information about chocolate to help you know what to look for when investing in chocolate as the tastiest possible health supplement. But there's one last tip I'd like to share, and that's how to read a chocolate label.
The first thing to ALWAYS keep in mind (and this applies to all food labels) is that you've got to check out the serving size. This can GREATLY affect the importance of other information on the label.
For instance, if a can of soda had just 3 grams of sugar in it, this would be one amazing soda, since a typical can would have more like 40 grams of sugar. (If you'll remember from the page on sweeteners, I consider artificial sweeteners far worse than sugar, so I'm not counting zero-sugar sodas with aspartame, sucralose, etc.) In other words, 3 grams in this case would be a very small amount of sugar relative to the volume of drink.
But if a 1/2 ounce (14 gram) piece of chocolate had 3 grams of sugar in it, then that piece of sugar is more than 20% sugar. (A 70% dark chocolate is typically around 25% sugar or other sweetener.) Say what you will, the health benefits of chocolate like that are going to be compromised by so great a percentage of sugar if it is refined. The less refined, the better. Usually a natural, unrefined sugar has a much lower glycemic index, as do sugar alcohols like xylitol.
Likewise, look for the relative position of ingredients on a label. If sugar (or anything else, but it's usually sugar) comes before any of the cacao ingredients (cocoa butter, cocoa powder, etc.), then you know that sugar is present to a greater degree than those cacao ingredients. If you're looking for the health benefits of cacao, you want its ingredients to come first in the list.
Next, let me talk about fat content. I am NOT one to discourage moderate amounts of healthy fat, even during diets. In fact, if you want to lose FAT weight (rather than lean body mass) when trying to shed pounds, my research shows that it's important to eat healthy fat in order to get your body burning fat.
Fat from cacao beans does NOT contribute to cholesterol problems. In fact, chocolate has been associated with lowering blood pressure.
I personally suspect that the HEALTHY FAT qualities of chocolate may be partly responsible for the weight loss some people are seeing when eating healthy chocolate. Having said this, keep in mind that excess SUGAR will get stored as fat, and so all of this needs to be kept in balance. My opinion: enjoy just 1-2 small pieces of healthy chocolate a day for moderation. Ideally 10 to 25 grams a day, and not more than one ounce.
On a related note, I'm not someone who promotes counting calories, even on a diet. Rather, it's important to be getting the right KIND of calories. Again, sugar represents empty calories, while some substitutes like xylitol can actually provide health benefits when consumed.
As you can see, my main concern is the amount of refined sugar, and to some degree any kind of sugar. I also recommend you look for "organic" chocolate, unless you can verify the source of the ingredients. It's also my opinion that raw chocolate is the pinnacle, as it retains the natural vitality and nutrient value of cacao. It packs a more noticeable energy punch and many people believe offers the best nutritional value. (But to be fair ... most of the research on chocolate has been done on cooked chocolate, so take this as you will.)
Also, good dark chocolate is made up of cocoa liquor and/or cocoa powder and cocoa butter along with some kind of sweetener and vanilla. Watch out for other ingredients. In Gnosis Chocolate, you have some wonderful extras like blue-green algae and all manner of other options, depending on the bar. But some chocolates will incorporate unhealthy ingredients that you do need to keep an eye out for. (Vanillin, by the way, is an artificial flavor.)
On a final note, I'd like to briefly discuss the topic of fair trade. This doesn't have to do, necessarily, with verifiable health benefits to you, but I believe it impacts the health of MANY people and of our world.
The first thing to ALWAYS keep in mind (and this applies to all food labels) is that you've got to check out the serving size. This can GREATLY affect the importance of other information on the label.
For instance, if a can of soda had just 3 grams of sugar in it, this would be one amazing soda, since a typical can would have more like 40 grams of sugar. (If you'll remember from the page on sweeteners, I consider artificial sweeteners far worse than sugar, so I'm not counting zero-sugar sodas with aspartame, sucralose, etc.) In other words, 3 grams in this case would be a very small amount of sugar relative to the volume of drink.
But if a 1/2 ounce (14 gram) piece of chocolate had 3 grams of sugar in it, then that piece of sugar is more than 20% sugar. (A 70% dark chocolate is typically around 25% sugar or other sweetener.) Say what you will, the health benefits of chocolate like that are going to be compromised by so great a percentage of sugar if it is refined. The less refined, the better. Usually a natural, unrefined sugar has a much lower glycemic index, as do sugar alcohols like xylitol.
Likewise, look for the relative position of ingredients on a label. If sugar (or anything else, but it's usually sugar) comes before any of the cacao ingredients (cocoa butter, cocoa powder, etc.), then you know that sugar is present to a greater degree than those cacao ingredients. If you're looking for the health benefits of cacao, you want its ingredients to come first in the list.
Next, let me talk about fat content. I am NOT one to discourage moderate amounts of healthy fat, even during diets. In fact, if you want to lose FAT weight (rather than lean body mass) when trying to shed pounds, my research shows that it's important to eat healthy fat in order to get your body burning fat.
Fat from cacao beans does NOT contribute to cholesterol problems. In fact, chocolate has been associated with lowering blood pressure.
I personally suspect that the HEALTHY FAT qualities of chocolate may be partly responsible for the weight loss some people are seeing when eating healthy chocolate. Having said this, keep in mind that excess SUGAR will get stored as fat, and so all of this needs to be kept in balance. My opinion: enjoy just 1-2 small pieces of healthy chocolate a day for moderation. Ideally 10 to 25 grams a day, and not more than one ounce.
On a related note, I'm not someone who promotes counting calories, even on a diet. Rather, it's important to be getting the right KIND of calories. Again, sugar represents empty calories, while some substitutes like xylitol can actually provide health benefits when consumed.
As you can see, my main concern is the amount of refined sugar, and to some degree any kind of sugar. I also recommend you look for "organic" chocolate, unless you can verify the source of the ingredients. It's also my opinion that raw chocolate is the pinnacle, as it retains the natural vitality and nutrient value of cacao. It packs a more noticeable energy punch and many people believe offers the best nutritional value. (But to be fair ... most of the research on chocolate has been done on cooked chocolate, so take this as you will.)
Also, good dark chocolate is made up of cocoa liquor and/or cocoa powder and cocoa butter along with some kind of sweetener and vanilla. Watch out for other ingredients. In Gnosis Chocolate, you have some wonderful extras like blue-green algae and all manner of other options, depending on the bar. But some chocolates will incorporate unhealthy ingredients that you do need to keep an eye out for. (Vanillin, by the way, is an artificial flavor.)
On a final note, I'd like to briefly discuss the topic of fair trade. This doesn't have to do, necessarily, with verifiable health benefits to you, but I believe it impacts the health of MANY people and of our world.
