Cocoa powder is not just for children’s hot chocolates: it has many benefits for young and old alike. As long as you choose it carefully, because you can find it of all kinds, and in particular very rich in sugar. Laura Tuveri, dietitian and nutritionist, publishes via his Instagram account a guide to choosing the best cocoa.
Let’s start by recalling what cocoa powder contains: according to Laura Tuveri, it is rich in flavonoids, substances naturally present in plants, they are what give the dark color to cocoa. While we know that a diet containing them helps you stay healthy, it is important to note that they are the subject of many false claims, such as being antioxidants. That said, cocoa is rich in nutrients and can also be a source of magnesium, iron or even potassium, underlines the dietician.
How to choose your cocoa?
Powdered chocolates are often cut with sugar (a lot of sugar!), and additives in particular. It happens that the vast majority of the jar you buy is something other than pure cocoa. As an example, she points out that Nestlé cocoa is composed of 65% sugar and 35% chocolate, Nesquik is made of 75% sugar and only 23% cocoa. She explains that since sugar is less expensive than cocoa, the cut products are less expensive, but that we actually buy more sugar than chocolate… in other words, we are being cheated.
Thus, the expert advises moving towards lesser-known packages, which include the mention 100% cocoa. The latter, if consumed without sugar, is bitter, but the mixture which is made in the other boxes can easily be made yourself at home, by adding a spoonful of sugar to your cup of hot chocolate, for example. example. She reminds us that the purer it is, the less we use and the longer the packet lasts!
Sources: Instagram
