Best 100% cocao products

Iwanttobetheoldme

Hi, I’m looking to switch from cocoa to COCAO due to the better health benefits/richer taste.

I love super bitter BUT I’m an overindulger so need it to be the lowest cal/carb available.

I currently eat Aldi 85% dark chocolate. It’s far too sweet. I also use cocoa powder for drinks, again too sweet, and not cocao.

Please recommend the best raw products that are low cal & carb!

Thanks

apullum

There is no such thing as cocao, so I assume you mean cacao.

The terms “cacao” and “cocoa” are often used interchangeably in marketing. The difference between the two is not clearly defined, but often has something to do with whether you’re talking about roasted, fermented cacao products vs. the cacao pod straight off the tree. Cacao does need to be fermented in order to develop the flavor we associate with it; I’m not aware of any unfermented cacao products on the market. The vast majority of things marketed as cocoa/cacao are roasted, and there is no documented health benefit of not roasting the cacao pod. It will just have a different flavor.

It sounds like you are looking for a 100% chocolate bar or something with a similarly very high cacao percentage. Those bars will have little to no sugar. Brands I know of that make this include Montezuma and Vosges. Vosges is interesting because they do a 100% bar with honey. Brands I know of that make bars in the 90+% range include Guittard, Taza, Alter Eco, and Lindt (which has a 99% bar). Taza is interesting because their chocolate has a grittier texture than others do, and some people really like that.

If you want a chocolate company that has explicit fair trade and sustainability values, Alter Eco’s “super blackout” 90% and Taza’s “wicked dark” 95% would be good options.

You may also want bars marketed as “baking chocolate.” These are typically unsweetened. Typical cocoa powder is also unsweetened. If your cocoa powder is sweet, then either a) you’ve got something other than 100% cocoa powder, b) you’re buying a brand whose cocoa is naturally on the sweeter side, and/or c) your palate still detects a sweet flavor even when no sugar is added to the cocoa.

Also note that when looking at cocoa powder, “natural” vs. “dutch process” will taste different. These two cocoa powders are not interchangeable in baking. If you’re not baking with it, then try both and see what you like.

If you’re truly looking for an unroasted chocolate, Raaka is the easiest brand to find in much of the US since Whole Foods carries it. I believe all of Raaka’s bars have some flavoring and/or additions, like salt, and they do not have bars in that very high cocoa percentage range.

AnnPT77

You might also consider "cacao nibs," available plain or chocolate coated. Many so-called "health food" stores sell them in bulk.

apullum

AnnPT77 wrote: »

You might also consider "cacao nibs," available plain or chocolate coated. Many so-called "health food" stores sell them in bulk.

You can also brew cacao nibs like tea! Or, you can buy cacao bean shells (which are usually discarded in the chocolate-making process) and brew those like tea too. Neither will taste just like chocolate, but I think they're nice in their own right.

For those who are curious, cacao nibs are just fermented, (usually) roasted, shelled cacao beans. They contain both cocoa solids and cocoa butter, which is the fat in the cacao bean. The cocoa solids are what we typically think of as "cocoa powder".

Gosh, I can talk about chocolate for a long time.

Hannahwalksfar

I love cacao nibs in yoghurt or porridge

amandaeve

@apullum how did you become such a cocoa expert??? I learned a lot reading your posts. I am also fond of the nibs.

I read that chocolate is full of benefits, but in order to get them, you'd have to eat pounds of it....

apullum

amandaeve wrote: »

@apullum how did you become such a cocoa expert??? I learned a lot reading your posts. I am also fond of the nibs.

I read that chocolate is full of benefits, but in order to get them, you'd have to eat pounds of it....

I’m a chocolate snob. Most of what I know about growing cacao and making chocolate is from visiting a couple different chocolate factories. Theo Chocolate in particular is very good about explaining all of it.

We have a spreadsheet where my husband and I track the bars we’ve tried and our thoughts on them. It started because we just liked trying different chocolate and couldn’t remember which ones we had already tried, or which ones we didn’t love. Then it turned into a hobby of looking for new chocolate bars.

lynn_glenmont

Just sticking my two-cents in: consider looking for fair-trade or other certifications that indicate the beans weren't harvested by underpaid or unpaid children possibly kidnapped from their homes and families.

Iwanttobetheoldme

@appulum

I’m UK based and a lot of the companies here use Cocao as spelling. But I see it should be CACAO. So apologies for my spelling.

I’ve found lots of brands on Amazon. But I’m looking for the lowest calorie/lowest carb & most don’t display the nutritions. They’re quite expensive so id like recommendations from people first who like the taste of dark bitter before I go and spend!

I already eat 85% which is too sweet.




Cacao is much better health wise than Cocoa because it is cold pressed so retains all the goodness. Cocoa is when the beans have been roasted at high temperatures therefore destroying the goodness.

So has anyone tried a few & know the strongest, lowest cal & carb products out there? Thanks!

Iwanttobetheoldme

https://www.creativenaturesuperfoods.co.uk/cacao-vs-cocoa-whats-the-difference/

rheddmobile

I like zint brand cacao powder. I put it in oatmeal, yogurt, basically anything I want to be chocolate flavored, as well as using it in savory sauces. Zint plus vanilla extract, almond butter, and raspberries in Greek yogurt is my favorite treat.

apullum

charl152526 wrote: »

@appulum

I’m UK based and a lot of the companies here use Cocao as spelling. But I see it should be CACAO. So apologies for my spelling.

I’ve found lots of brands on Amazon. But I’m looking for the lowest calorie/lowest carb & most don’t display the nutritions. They’re quite expensive so id like recommendations from people first who like the taste of dark bitter before I go and spend!

I already eat 85% which is too sweet.




Cacao is much better health wise than Cocoa because it is cold pressed so retains all the goodness. Cocoa is when the beans have been roasted at high temperatures therefore destroying the goodness.

So has anyone tried a few & know the strongest, lowest cal & carb products out there? Thanks!

The information that you posted is largely either incorrect or an over generalization. The link and graphic are not from scientific sources.

For example, many cheap brands of chocolate are indeed low in cacao. However, many other brands display the cacao percentage prominently, especially if they contain a high percentage of cacao products. For example, you stated that you enjoy an 85% bar. It is 85% cocoa powder and/or cocoa butter by weight. Both of those ingredients come directly from cacao beans. The other 15% may be sugar, vanilla, other flavorings, etc. If you buy 100% cocoa powder, it is nothing but cocoa solids with the cocoa butter removed. It is therefore not true that something marketed as “cocoa” is low in cacao.

Neither cacao nor any other food directly aids in weight loss. Weight loss is 100% caused by consistently being in a calorie deficit. The only way that any food can aid weight loss is if that food helps you feel satiated, and therefore makes it easier for you to stay in a deficit.

The cacao bean itself naturally contains fat. That fat is cocoa butter. It is therefore not true that “cocoa” contains fat and “cacao” does not.

I think you get the point. I would recommend choosing more reputable sources of information.

marierenicks1

charl152526 wrote: »

Hi, I’m looking to switch from cocoa to COCAO due to the better health benefits/richer taste.

I love super bitter BUT I’m an overindulger so need it to be the lowest cal/carb available.

I currently eat Aldi 85% dark chocolate. It’s far too sweet. I also use cocoa powder for drinks, again too sweet, and not cocao.

Please recommend the best raw products that are low cal & carb!

Thanks

https://www.williescacao.com/ the best 100 % chocolate enjoy

jeffrey_ad

My fav

marierenicks1

jeffrey_ad

Where did you get

kshama2001

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

Just sticking my two-cents in: consider looking for fair-trade or other certifications that indicate the beans weren't harvested by underpaid or unpaid children possibly kidnapped from their homes and families.

Two I know about:
https://equalexchange.coop/about (can also buy some products on Amazon and some supermarkets carry the coffee)
https://www.tazachocolate.com/pages/about-taza

Taza is in the Boston area and has tours https://www.tazachocolate.com/pages/take-a-tour

AnnPT77

When a site speaks in terms of "superfoods", that's usually a bad sign. Some foods are more nutrient-dense than others, for sure. And some taste better, or are produced in more sustainable or humane ways. That's worth considering when we make eating decisions, certainly.

But picking out a small set of foods as "superfoods" is pseudoscience, or marketing hype, or both. OP, the site you linked is literally selling cacao powder: That alone might make one suspect that they're potentially providing unbalanced information.

A PP above has helpful included a nutrition label from cacao powder.

Here are the nutrition facts for regular commercial Hershey's Cocoa Powder, taken directly from Hershey's website today, as comparison (note that serving size is 15g for the cacao powder, 5g for the Hershey's, so you need to multiply Hershey's numbers by 3 to equate them).



Personally, I'm underwhelmed by the nutritional differences.

And cacao powder, including the Navitas brand whose label was in a PP, is readily available here in "health food" stores, plus some large grocery stores. I live in a mid-sized US city in a flyover state, so not that cosmpolitan a place. If you live somewhere more remote, or in a different country, it may be more difficult to find, but it's not rare here.

Luke_rabbit

It sounds like your best bet for lower calorie is to just use the powder (regardless of spelling).

I like it mixed in steel cut oats with cinnamon and frozen wild blueberries. I don't find any sweetener required.

The same idea would work in plain Greek yogurt with fresh berries, as mentioned above.

Whisked into milk would make me reach for a yellow packet to add some sweet, though.

I also add it to dishes I cook (with cinnamon usually) such as quinoa and black beans with bell peppers, onions, and avocado or chili.

Iwanttobetheoldme

Sorry but even just googling cocoa vs cacao - there are literally thousands of sites explaining the difference. I just posted one of the first sites that popped up. It is roasted vs cold pressed. Cold pressing preserves more vitamins. We can agree to disagree though!

I understand a calorie deficit is how to lose weight. Hence why I’m looking for low cal so I can have more of the treats I like but keeping within my limits. I love dark bitter chocolate so am looking for a way to incorporate it into my diet that’s all. And would like to reduce my Sugar intake

Thank you to everyone for the suggestions, I’m going to order a few of those off Amazon (I don’t think there are as many available UK for some reason). 100g Bars are retailing around £3+ here. Obviously the big UK brand is Cadbury = lots of sugar & not many dark options!

I like the idea of mixing with yoghurt thanks for that suggestion.

Off to order from Amazon now

aokoye

charl152526 wrote: »

Sorry but even just googling cocoa vs cacao - there are literally thousands of sites explaining the difference. I just posted one of the first sites that popped up. It is roasted vs cold pressed. Cold pressing preserves more vitamins. We can agree to disagree though!

I understand a calorie deficit is how to lose weight. Hence why I’m looking for low cal so I can have more of the treats I like but keeping within my limits. I love dark bitter chocolate so am looking for a way to incorporate it into my diet that’s all. And would like to reduce my Sugar intake

There are thousands of sites on the internet that say that the earth is flat. Needless to say, they are wrong. That said, my favorite chocolate is from Zotter and you should have an easier time getting it in the UK than I have in the US.

lynn_glenmont

charl152526 wrote: »

@appulum

I’m UK based and a lot of the companies here use Cocao as spelling. But I see it should be CACAO. So apologies for my spelling.

I’ve found lots of brands on Amazon. But I’m looking for the lowest calorie/lowest carb & most don’t display the nutritions. They’re quite expensive so id like recommendations from people first who like the taste of dark bitter before I go and spend!

I already eat 85% which is too sweet.




Cacao is much better health wise than Cocoa because it is cold pressed so retains all the goodness. Cocoa is when the beans have been roasted at high temperatures therefore destroying the goodness.

So has anyone tried a few & know the strongest, lowest cal & carb products out there? Thanks!

If you're looking for something that is 100% single-ingredient cacao, there shouldn't be meaningful differences in calories and carbs for identical amounts of cacao. If you find significant variations, you should try to figure out which one actually is the product that matches your idea of cacao, because they wouldn't really be the same product.