The Chocolate Fountain — Light Dessert for Cheat Days

Hey guys

Although that sounds good but you may ask “What about the calories and the fat contents?”

Let me tell you the secret…it’s in how you pick the chocolate. So, before you grab a chocolate candy bar or slice of chocolate cake, let’s first take a look at what types of chocolate would be more ideal over the others.

When cocoa is processed into your favorite chocolate products, it goes through several steps to reduce its natural pungent taste, a result of the presence of flavonoids (polyphenols). Flavonoids are known for their antioxidant activity. However, the more chocolate is processed (through processes such as fermentation, alkalizing or roasting), the more flavonoids are lost.

To date, dark chocolate appears to retain the highest levels of flavonoids. So your best bet is to choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate. Some chocolate manufacturers are studying ways to retain the highest level of flavonoids while still providing acceptable taste. Stay tuned for more information in this area.

Now, let’s pick the fruit. All berries like strawberries, wild blackberries and raspberries are perfect for the fondue fountain. One of my favorites, however, is the kiwi—it tastes simply perfect with the chocolate.

So you have all your ingredients. What about the calorie intake for each of these?

Here’s the breakdown of calories in chocolate per 100g:

• Milk chocolate: 588
• Dark Chocolate: 544
• Cocoa powder: 452
• Cocoa: 417
• Toffee: 399
• Hard candies: 327

For the fruits:

• Strawberries (1 cup sliced/166g): 50 cal
• Raspberry (1 cup/125g): 50 cal
• Blackberry (1 cup fresh/144g): 60 cal
• Kiwi (1medium without skin/76g): 46 cal

For your next cheat day, try some dark chocolates and fruit. It isn’t all that bad.

AlejandroQ