The girls in the office have responded to the chocolate vs. vegetable smackdown with serious questions. Some have given up sweets for Lent, some are on diets, some have diabetic people in their households, and they don't want to hear that chocolate is better than brussels sprouts unless we can assure them that they can eat that chocolate without concern.
We are delving deep into this question for them.
First, we don't mean to suggest that cookies -- even our highly delicious and wholesome Sunflower Mix Cookies -- are more nutritious than brussels sprouts.Or even that chocolate is.
That sprout, for example, contains 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein, while dark chocolate contains 2 grams each of fiber and protein and 10 grams of sugar. The sprouts are the winners there. The chocolate gives you 10% of the iron you need for the day, while the sprouts give only 7%, so the chocolate wins on that count -- but the sprouts beat the pants off the chocolate when it comes to vitamin A. Chocolate wins on flavanoids, antioxidants, and magnesium. The sprouts have no fat, though, and the chocolate has 11 grams.
So, yeah, when it comes to sugar and fat, the brussels sprouts are the better choice. People on diets should have lots of brussels sprouts and just some chocolate. Fortunately, you don't need a whole lot of chocolate to get the health benefits.
So here are our recommendations for those who are cutting back on chocolate because of fats and sugars:
- Get the data. It's true that chocolate has more fat and sugar than green vegetables -- but often about the same amount as your favorite breakfast foods or snacks. You can swap an extra slice of pizza for an ounce of chocolate and save half the calories without taking in any more sugar or fat.
- Have a small amount of the good stuff, instead of more of the less luxurious stuff. An ounce of fine chocolate is more satisfying and healthier than a drugstore candy bar.
- Go with cocoa powder. Cocoa-dusted fruit and nuts, hot chocolate made from scratch with water, or meringues made with cocoa powder give chocolate flavor and flavanoids without fat.
- For diabetics, chocolate can be a good surprise -- the sugar in dark chocolate is used more slowly by the body than that in white bread, for example. Choose a higher cacao content (our example is 65%, but you can go higher) and enjoy it with a meal to slow absorption. Check with your health professionals to be sure of the right amount for you.
