Dark Chocolate

Yes, this delectable delight really does deserve an entire post.

Recently, I made the decision to switch from sugar-laden milk, white and any other chocolate to the very intense, less addicting dark chocolate. Just like how I switched from flavoured yoghurt to Greek yoghurt. And this chocolatey decision is a good one, and you should make it too!

There was a thread on MFP regarding the nutritional differences between dark chocolate and milk chocolate, and it discussed what I had just realised-that dark chocolate was just as calorific and fatty, if not more, than regular chocolate. So when asked how this bittersweet delight was better than the sugary stuff, a MFP user replied, "...dark chocolate I eat two squares. Milk chocolate I eat the whole block." And that's true. Because of the low levels of sugar in dark chocolate, it's not at all addictive (most of the time). But milk chocolate...I have learnt to only buy a bar, not a slab.

What's more, dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure and contains flavanoids, which help regulate blood sugar. It also increases blood flow to the brain, improving cognitive function. Moreover, it's extremely good for your brain and it's high in vitamins and minerals. And don't forget that dark chocolate really satisfies your tastebuds...

So what type of dark chocolate should you consume? To obtain the maximum benefits dark chocolate offers, you should consume the type labelled 60% or higher.
The first type I tried since making the switch was Lindt 85%, which now that I think about it was perfect. It comes in easily breakable 10 gram squares, and that's only 58 calories and 1.3 grams of sugar.
The second type I tried was Moser Roth's Mint Dark Chocolate. If you're just starting out with dark chocolate, this is for you. It doesn't even taste dark, it just tastes like milk! It was sooooo good! But that's the thing-it was so good it was addictive! Moser Roth packs it chocolate in individual 25 gram bars-the mint one is 140 calories per bar and 10.5 grams of sugar.
The third type of dark chocolate to find it's way into my mouth was Cadbury's Old Gold 70% Dark Chocolate. If you're concerned about thie bitterness of dark chocolate then you should absolutely try this one. I don't know if it's because I was accustommed to dark chocolate, but this chocolate seemed to be sweet, especially since it was packed like Cadbury's regular milk chocolate. 25 grams will give you 137 calories and 7.7 grams of sugar.
And right now, even though I'm meant to be fasting, I have Moser Roth's 85% Dark Chocolate sitting next to me. It's slightly sweeter than Lindt's 85%, but that may be purely because I'm used to it now. 25 grams is 145 calories and 3.7 grams of sugar, 0.45 grams more than Lindt's. Still, it's more dark chocolate tasting than Cadbury's 70%! I ate that like normal milk chocolate!

Yesterday, I found out that 100% dark chocolate exists! Yes, 100%. That is going to be intense!!! Oh, and they make 99% as well, just because 1% makes a huge difference...