Chocolate... page

[thehallowprince]

I understand that dark chocolate is better than other chocolates and such... but does that mean it's "healthy."

Today at work several of my co-workers are on a fix that chocolate in general is healthy. I was open to agree that dark chocolate was the best to choose from, but they were very adamant that CHOCOLATE is HEALTHY!

Of course... this whole conversation started when someone brought a bag of chocolates in and everyone (myself excluded) dove in...

I just have trouble picking up a Hersey bar (even if it IS dark chocolate) and saying, "Oh yeah! I'm eating healthy!"

[BeachGrok]

I would consider chocolate an indulgence and NOT health food. Sure there are well publicized benefits from cocoa powder (antioxidants) but "chocolate" should be a treat.....but I have found that folks often latch on to the latest nutrition headlines and run with it to rationalize their behaviors....

[Helen in Oz]

I've always loved the stuff but I think the study showing it was good for your wellbeing was done by Cadbury or Nestle. Yeah, of course they're going to find that your stress levels are reduced after eating half a bar.

Antioxidants are such a furphy - plenty of them in other things.

Cadbury Dairy Milk, one of the most popular chocolates in Australia:
Ingredients: Full Cream Milk, Sugar, Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter, Milk Solids, Vegetable Fat, Emulsifiers (Soya Lecithin, 476), Flavours. May contain traces of Nuts. Milk Chocolate contains Cocoa Solids 26%, Milk Solids 28%

Milk - hmm, maybe; sugar, hell no; cocoa mass/butter, ok, milk solids - wtf?? - vegetable fat: no. Emulsifiers: no. Flavours: probably not.

Mind you from what you've said about co-workers in the past, it's possibly healthier than most of their other choices....

[thehallowprince]

Hahaha. I wasn't even gonna bring up the XXL Marshmellows sitting on the top of the filing cabinets...

But this is total clarity...

That is why I love this website. Having been around 8 or 9 people all going on about the benefits of chocolate you can't help but wonder who is correct... the 9.... or the 1? Coming here helps clear my head.

[Acmebike]

There is a big difference betwixt a Hershey's "dark chocolate" and a Lindt 85% for example. Plus there are other better chocolates out there without soy and other nasties. Plus, I'd say it's an acceptable cheat treat once in a while (the better true dark chocolates....).

[thehallowprince]

There is a big difference betwixt a Hershey's "dark chocolate" and a Lindt 85% for example. Plus there are other better chocolates out there without soy and other nasties. Plus, I'd say it's an acceptable cheat treat once in a while (the better true dark chocolates....).

Yeah a treat is a treat... but i often see people qualifying something as health food because it makes them feel good, like McDonald's McNuggets are really good for you because they are made with all white meat!

[Acmebike]

Indeed, people do run with the most minor health claim to indulge! I've been in an office recently where the staff has a big bowl of "dark" Hershey's Kisses, I doubt there's any healthy properties in sluggin' back a handful plus of those a day! I'd say the tiniest bit of wine, or a little nip of true dark chocolate might have some small benefit, but by no means could either ever be considered nutritional necessities.

[rphlslv]

I don't think it's even healthy, just maybe neutral (the dark kind). I would eat it as a treat but I wouldn't fool myself by thinking it is in any way healthy. And isn't cocoa a seed? Seeds by default aren't meant to be eatable and contain a bunch of pesky antinutrients.

[thehallowprince]

I don't think it's even healthy, just maybe neutral (the dark kind). I would eat it as a treat but I wouldn't fool myself by thinking it is in any way healthy. And isn't cocoa a seed? Seeds by default aren't meant to be eatable and contain a bunch of pesky antinutrients.

Same here! I mean, there are foods I eat maybe once a month (like a big slice of lasagna) but I never call it healthy. I call it tasty. A treat. Never do I pretend it's healthy!

[Lovestoclimb]

Companies that thrive on their milk chocolate, like Hershey's, they produce ghetto dark chocolate.