Barefoot Chocolatini Says, "Ditch the Guilt and Go For the Chocolate"

The Pros Outweigh the Cons, As Long as It's the Good Quality Stuff

PAHOA, HI / ACCESSWIRE / March 7, 2022 / Chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream. The memories of sweet treats shared with a loved one, birthday parties, and family celebrations. So delicious.

The consensus used to be that chocolate is far from healthy, and in fact, it was thought to be a leading cause of weight gain and acne. However, today's science tells a different story, with a caveat.

In a 2012 study at the University of California, researchers found adults who ate chocolate on more days a week were thinner and had a lower body mass index than those who ate chocolate less often. One contributing factor may be that chocolate is rich in antioxidant phytonutrients such as catechins that contribute to a healthy body.

The Barefoot Chocolatini, Maddy Smith, a 30-year veteran cacao expert, says it's all true, but "chocolate lovers will only reap the health benefits if the chocolate is the highest quality from a pure source."

There are a few steps for assessing quality chocolate. The Barefoot Chocolatini says, "check to see how many ingredients are in it. Two ingredient chocolate is just cacao beans and sugar in the chocolate bar. Some chocolate makers add soy lecithin, an additive to help viscosity as the chocolate pipes through machinery during production. Some purists deem soy lecithin unnecessary. Other bars include wax, commercial sweeteners, and other flavors, ingredients or processes to cover up or mellow out undesirable flavors and help to keep flavor profiles consistent over the long term."

Another clue to identify the best chocolate is to find out where the cacao is grown. Barefoot Chocolatini says, "higher quality beans are grown in a single region, usually by a small family-operated farm. The chocolate packaging for quality chocolate should be educational and descriptive to offer consumers a direct connection to the region and sometimes the specific farm, and sometimes even name the farmers who grew and handled the cacao before it turned into a chocolate bar."

Chocolate purists may also want to know about the chocolate production process. The Barefoot Chocolatini says, "research the maker and learn their quality control measures. In the best-case scenario, they are making chocolate at origin, meaning there is no need to import or export cacao beans, and there is a higher probability of quality control."

Most grocery store chocolate will contain minimal information on the product labels. However, craft bean to bar chocolate makers will have information readily available, as they tend to be chocolate makers that care for the well-being of the land, the farmer, and the consumer.

Chocolate consumption in the US is up. According to Cargill's new ChocoLogic study, roughly 30% of consumers increased their chocolate consumption due to COVID-19. 72% of those consumers said, "chocolate lifts my mood." Smith says, "the research is ongoing, and as we learn more, we know high-quality chocolate is a superfood in so many ways, do your research and make sure you are buying the best. Then ditch the guilt and indulge."

ABOUT BAREFOOT CHOCOLATINI

Barefoot Chocolatini is Hawai'i's top resource for education for cacao farmers, bean to bar chocolate makers, and chocolate connoisseurs. Maddy Smith has been making chocolate and hot cocoa for over 30 years, tasted countless bars, visited more than 50 cacao farms, chocolate factories, and shops, and has guided and taught hundreds of people how to taste chocolate. She hosts private cacao farm retreats and supports cacao and chocolate research and education in Hawai'i. She is a former president of the East Hawaii Cacao Association. For more information, visit The Barefoot Chocolatini on Instagram. For additional information, visit barefootchocolatini.com.

CONTACT

Maddy Smith
(808) 640-1283
[email protected]

SOURCE: The Barefoot Chocolatini