How to Pick a Good Dark Chocolate for Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
When it comes to picking the best dark chocolate for your health, some varieties are healthier for people with diabetes than others. Follow these tips to get the biggest nutritional bang for your buck.
Consider the percentage of cocoa. Just because a chocolate bar is labeled “dark” doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Indeed, some types of “dark chocolate” could be as low as 30 percent cocoa, making them more on par with regular milk chocolate nutrition-wise, says Anna Taylor, RD, CDCES, a dietitian at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. To reap the most health benefits from chocolate, choose a bar with 70 percent cocoa or more. In many cases, the cocoa content will appear in plain sight on the front of the packaging, Simos says.
Double-check the carb content. All chocolate — including unsweetened baking chocolate — has carbs. So, try to keep the carbs for one chocolate snack to 15 to 30 grams (g) max, Simos says. Counting carbs can make it easier to manage your blood sugar. For reference, three squares of Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate have about 18 g of carbs, while three squares of Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate have about 14 g.
Keep an eye out for any sugary extra ingredients. “Limit dark chocolate that has caramel, toffee, or other sugary add-ins,” Taylor says. Although there isn’t a firm recommendation, Taylor recommends an upper limit of 8 g of sugar per 1 ounce (oz), or 28 g of chocolate. Instead, opt for a bar with nuts, like almonds. They are packed with nutrients, keep you feeling full longer, help slow the rise in blood sugar levels, and can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Try sugar-free cocoa powder or cacao nibs. They’re naturally sugar-free and will give you that chocolate taste without the same hit of carbs, Simos says. Another benefit? Cacao nibs contain iron and minerals like magnesium, which is a plus for people with diabetes, she says. Frequent urination, a common symptom of diabetes, can contribute to magnesium deficiency in people with the condition.
Read the full article here
