True, the cocoa bean may contain health-promoting properties, but that doesn’t mean any old candy bar is good for you. If you want the health benefits, be picky when choosing your chocolate.
Look for chocolate containing no hydrogenated fats or oils. Chocolate is considered high-quality if the only added fat is butter; for the healthiest chocolate, check the ingredient list for no added fat at all.
The best chocolate should be low in sugar. You’ll find this in dark or semisweet chocolate. If baking with chocolate, you can even mix semisweet and unsweetened chocolate for a very rich flavor.
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Choose a chocolate with few added ingredients or fillings that are high in fat and sugar.
In your quest for the ultimate chocolate experience, check out organic and imported chocolate. And if you want the kick of chocolate without the fat, consider making hot chocolate with cocoa powder, nonfat or soy milk and a little sweetener.
