The Easter holidays are approaching: dark, milk, cocoa… how to choose the right chocolates ?

At Easter, how to choose the right chocolates ?

When it comes to food and especially chocolate, it's all about moderation… Like every year, many of us will enjoy chocolate at Easter. Dark or milk ? What percentage of cocoa ? If chocolate is the ultimate gourmet food, not all are equal. Some tips for getting there.

With a plethora of chocolates on offer as Easter approaches, how do you know which ones to choose if you want to combine indulgence and health ? Nutritionally, chocolate provides on average between 490 and 550 kcal per 100 g. It is therefore rather rich in calories. And particularly in lipids: its fats come from cocoa butter, made up of fatty acids: saturated at 62%, monounsaturated (35%) and polyunsaturated (omega-3 and omega-6) at 3%. Note that omega-3 and omega-6 provide rather a protective effect, particularly on the cardiovascular level compared to other fatty acids.

For health purposes, it is recommended to focus on dark chocolate rather than milk or filled chocolates. According to the French Federation of Diabetics (FFD), “premium quality dark chocolate is less sweet and does not contain artificial flavors, preservatives, colorings, texturing agents or vegetable oils in addition to cocoa butter (palm oil is bad for arteries and cholesterol)“. As for its nutritional virtues, they are notably due to its concentration of polyphenols, antioxidants which help to fight against cell aging. It is therefore best to choose dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa because it is the cocoa powder which contains these beneficial nutrients

Too bad for white chocolate lovers. As this does not contain cocoa powder, but only cocoa butter, it does not contain any micronutrients good for health.

Extra milk chocolate

Chocolate also contains carbohydrates, especially if it is made from milk. White chocolate is the one that contains the most sugar. Please note, however, that there are also 'light' chocolates! Generally speaking, sucrose (sugar) is replaced by maltitol, “a polyol which is caloric (2.4 kcal/g)“, specifies the FFD which adds: “for a taste quality which often leaves something to be desired“… And also recommends “avoid products containing fructose because its excess increases the level of triglycerides in the blood, which constitutes a cardiovascular risk factor“.

For those who really don't like dark chocolate, especially children, milk chocolate marked extra can be a good alternative. This in fact contains at least 30% cocoa solids and at least 18% milk, compared to 25% and 14% for milk chocolate without this mention.

To summarize, here are the three golden rules:

Choose quality over quantity; Instead, opt for black, which has a high cocoa percentage; Read the product label carefully to find out its precise composition. And know that to make chocolate, you only need three ingredients: cocoa mass, sugar and cocoa butter.