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Gotta Have Chocolate! |
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Valentines Day and chocolate go together like cupid and his bow and arrow. If you love chocolate like I do, and are looking for a good excuse to work chocolate into your diet, then here are some surprising facts about the healthy components in chocolate. When you're done reading, try the recipe below. It is moist, chocolaty and very nutritious!
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Chocolate contains healthy flavonoids which have antioxidant benefits. Antioxidants are protective for certain diseases such as cancer and heart disease. They also are believed to slow down the aging process. But your best choice for antioxidants is still fruits, vegetables, wine and green tea--and they have fewer calories and saturated fat. |
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Chocolate contains a healthy fat called oleic acid. It is a monounsaturated fat and the same fat that is found in olive oil. But be careful, because only about 1/3 of a piece of chocolate is heart healthy. The other 2/3 contains bad saturated fats. So savor the flavor or each bite. Go for quality not quantity. |
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Chocolate contains magnesium, caffeine and many pharmacologic agents that can enhance your mood and stimulate sensations such as the feelings behind chocolate cravings. Like dark chocolate, white chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar and saturated fat, but it doesn't contain cocoa. Therefore, white chocolate doesn't curb chocolate cravings and doesn't contain caffeine. |
Try these low fat chocolate options:
- Substitute 3 TBSP cocoa powder + 1 ½ tsp. applesauce in place of 1 ounce baking chocolate in recipes
- Get your chocolate fix by using chocolate syrup. It's fat-free!
- Chocolate graham crackers have the same calories as regular ones
LOW FAT, HIGH FIBER OATMEAL BROWNIES
By Linda Farr, RD/LD
| BAKE: 350° F, 25 minutes, 9 X 13 pan |
YIELD: 12, 2" bars |
| AMOUNT | INGREDIENTS | METHOD |
| 1 1/3 cup | SUGAR | 1. | Preheat oven to 350° F. |
| 2/3 cup | WATER | | Spray pan with PAM. |
| 3 Tbsp | CANOLA OIL | 2. | Combine sugar, water, oil, |
| 1 tsp | VANILLA EXTRACT | | vanilla, and applesauce in |
| 1/3 cup | APPLESAUCE | | mixing bowl. |
| 2 | EGG WHITES, LIGHTLY BEATEN | 3. | Add beaten egg whites. |
| 1 cup | ALL PURPOSE FLOUR | | Mix well. |
| 2/3 cup | QUICK COOKING OATS, UNCOOKED | 4. | Combine dry ingredients, |
| 1/2 cup | UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER | | except powdered sugar, and |
| 1 1/2 tsp | BAKING POWDER | | mix into liquid mixture. |
| 1/4 tsp | SALT | 5. | Bake until knife inserted in |
| 1/4 cup | POWDERED SUGAR | | center comes out clean. About 25 min. |
| | 6. | Cool. Sift powdered sugar over |
| | | the top. |
NUTRITION FACTS PER BAR:
190 Calories, 4.5 gms Total Fat, 0 Cholesterol, 0 Trans Fats, 2 gms Fiber, 3 gms Protein, 120 mg Sodium
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Article written February 2005
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Linda Farr, RD/LD
linda.farr@me.com
Nutrition Associates of San Antonio
4414 Centerview Drive, Suite 233
San Antonio, TX 78228
Phone: 210-735-2402
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