Great healthy hot chocolate idea

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emaSharmama
emaSharmama Posts: 18 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I love adding hot chocolate to my coffee but it is so high in calories and sugar.
Here is a couple ideas I had that work really well.
Get some chocolate protein powder and add a scoop to coffee with milk.
Another idea I just tried last night: heat up water with 1% milk (or nonfat) and stir in a scoop of the protein powder. I used equal parts of water and milk but it could vary.
The great thing about it is I don't need to use up my packages of hot chocolate but can donate them to the church coffee bar (kids love it).
Enjoy 🙂

Replies

  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
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    I was curious so I just did a side-by-side comparison of Pure Protein Rich Chocolate protein powder to Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix. Here's what I found:
    • The calories per serving are about the same, actually. One 43g scoop of Pure Protein clocks in at 160 cal, vs one 35g envelope of Swiss Miss being 150cal.
    • Fat content is similar as well, with 2.5g fat in Pure Protein vs 3.5g fat in Swiss Miss
    • Pure Protein has a considerable amount of cholesterol, 75mg, if that's something you're watching (dietary cholesterol is not the same thing as blood cholesterol, but it might be of concern to someone so I'm mentioning it)
    • Pure Protein boasts just 9 little grams of carbs, compared to Swiss Miss's 28g, including 21g of sugars (20g of which is added sugars). No surprise there tbh, we knew Swiss Miss is candy, that's the point of the hack.
    • Similarly, Pure Protein packs 25g of protein into a scoop, whereas Swiss Miss has a piddly little 2g protein. Shock and surprise, that protein powder would have hella protein in it, right?

    So, you aren't really saving any calories with the protein powder, but you are avoiding a considerable amount of sugar, assuming you aren't adding any separately. 28g is only about 2 teaspoons, so it wouldn't be hard to accidentally load up your coffee with more sugar than you would have gotten from the Swiss Miss in the first place. And if you struggle to get enough protein, this does sound like a pleasant way to get a little more of that macronutrient in you.

    Have you found that the protein powder dissolves well in hot liquids? I've played around with protein powder in the past, but only in cold liquids. It never occurred to me to put it in coffee.
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,047 Member
    edited January 2021
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    I don't know if it'll give you the flavor you are looking for, but I grind whole coffee beans every morning and sometimes add Anthony's Organic Cocoa Nibs, (54 calories per tablespoon) to the grind for a touch of cocoa.

    My other favorite indulgence is to stir in (using a loose tea teaspoon) one milk chocolate mint metaway (Frango 55 calories each). I don't know which I like more - the mint chocolate flavoured coffee or licking the spoon!
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    There is a no sugar variety of hot chocolate.
  • AndreaTamira
    AndreaTamira Posts: 272 Member
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    I tend to just mix in cocoa powder, a bit of vanilla, and Natvia into my oat or soy latte (so, the milk part is already there). That means I can make it as sweet or not sweet as I want for barely any change in calories. - I never was a fan of pre-made hot chocolate, because I think it tastes too sweet and not chocolaty enough. - I tried some pre-made packages again a few weeks ago and that just convinced me more of this believe.

    Sometimes I use date puree instead of the natvia. That's far higher calories, but has some nice nutrients (including potassium. I never seem to get my potassium up enough.)
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited January 2021
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    I drink hot cocoa/coffee mix so very rarely that it's a treat for me when I do. In which case, I'd rather have the actual cocoa than protein powder, but thats just me. I have a friend who melts York peppermint patties in his along with the hot cocoa. Thats a bit overkill for me, but even just melting a fun size one, or a couple of Hersheys kisses, is nice too, in lieu of the cocoa mix. That way I get the cocoa without all of the extra calories.
  • AshHeartsJesus
    AshHeartsJesus Posts: 460 Member
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    If I need a really low cal hot chocolate I do almost my mug filled with water boiled in it, with 2 small spoonfuls of cocoa powder, stevia which I do to taste and vanilla.

    My fav warm drink right now is almond milk warmed up and then I add stevia and cinnamon
  • emaSharmama
    emaSharmama Posts: 18 Member
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    goal06082021 wrote: »
    I was curious so I just did a side-by-side comparison of Pure Protein Rich Chocolate protein powder to Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix. Here's what I found:
    • The calories per serving are about the same, actually. One 43g scoop of Pure Protein clocks in at 160 cal, vs one 35g envelope of Swiss Miss being 150cal.
    • Fat content is similar as well, with 2.5g fat in Pure Protein vs 3.5g fat in Swiss Miss
    • Pure Protein has a considerable amount of cholesterol, 75mg, if that's something you're watching (dietary cholesterol is not the same thing as blood cholesterol, but it might be of concern to someone so I'm mentioning it)
    • Pure Protein boasts just 9 little grams of carbs, compared to Swiss Miss's 28g, including 21g of sugars (20g of which is added sugars). No surprise there tbh, we knew Swiss Miss is candy, that's the point of the hack.
    • Similarly, Pure Protein packs 25g of protein into a scoop, whereas Swiss Miss has a piddly little 2g protein. Shock and surprise, that protein powder would have hella protein in it, right?

    So, you aren't really saving any calories with the protein powder, but you are avoiding a considerable amount of sugar, assuming you aren't adding any separately. 28g is only about 2 teaspoons, so it wouldn't be hard to accidentally load up your coffee with more sugar than you would have gotten from the Swiss Miss in the first place. And if you struggle to get enough protein, this does sound like a pleasant way to get a little more of that macronutrient in you.

    Have you found that the protein powder dissolves well in hot liquids? I've played around with protein powder in the past, but only in cold liquids. It never occurred to me to put it in coffee.

    My situation is different. I have type 2 diabetes but crave chocolate and sugar. So for me, it works.
    Also, I don't eat much meat since it sometimes doesn't digest well for me. So the extra boost of protein is a plus in my eating plan.
    Thank you for your response.
    Have a good one
  • emaSharmama
    emaSharmama Posts: 18 Member
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    AndreaTamira wrote: »
    I tend to just mix in cocoa powder, a bit of vanilla, and Natvia into my oat or soy latte (so, the milk part is already there). That means I can make it as sweet or not sweet as I want for barely any change in calories. - I never was a fan of pre-made hot chocolate, because I think it tastes too sweet and not chocolaty enough. - I tried some pre-made packages again a few weeks ago and that just convinced me more of this believe.

    Sometimes I use date puree instead of the natvia. That's far higher calories, but has some nice nutrients (including potassium. I never seem to get my potassium up enough.)

    I agree, potassium is a struggle.
    I looked it up and saw that it isn't necessarily a good idea to get too much.
    Thank you for the comments
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,588 Member
    edited January 2021
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    Is protein powder OK to mix in a hot liquid? I mean, does it affect the efficacy at all? I've never considered it before. I just sneak in a Swiss Miss maybe once a week if I have enough left over calorie allowance, but I do have plenty of chocolate protein powder on hand. Interesting idea.

    EDIT: Yes, I'm aware the total calories are similar, however if I'm having a protein drink anyway then it could be a hot chocolate one with my only net cost for the day being some more milk, which would overall be a lot less than a Swiss Miss + milk.
  • emaSharmama
    emaSharmama Posts: 18 Member
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    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Is protein powder OK to mix in a hot liquid? I mean, does it affect the efficacy at all? I've never considered it before. I just sneak in a Swiss Miss maybe once a week if I have enough left over calorie allowance, but I do have plenty of chocolate protein powder on hand. Interesting idea.

    EDIT: Yes, I'm aware the total calories are similar, however if I'm having a protein drink anyway then it could be a hot chocolate one with my only net cost for the day being some more milk, which would overall be a lot less than a Swiss Miss + milk.

    It's worked well for me.
    Tonight was the second time that I have had it. So it's a great reward for me in the evening.
    Give it a try and let me know what you think 😊
  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
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    emaSharmama wrote: »
    goal06082021 wrote: »
    -snip-

    My situation is different. I have type 2 diabetes but crave chocolate and sugar. So for me, it works.
    Also, I don't eat much meat since it sometimes doesn't digest well for me. So the extra boost of protein is a plus in my eating plan.
    Thank you for your response.
    Have a good one

    Ah, okay, then yes, your hack makes a lot of sense! I'm glad it's working well for you.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,913 Member
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    I’ve never liked coffee (😱😱😱) but I put Jordan’s sugar free salted caramel in my chai, and either chocolate coconut or chocolate peppermint bark in my yogurt pudding.

    Wouldn’t a squirt of sugar free chocolate syrup work?

    Bought some Torani yesterday to compare. Ugh. Not a fan.
  • ridiculous59
    ridiculous59 Posts: 2,865 Member
    edited January 2021
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    I heat up unsweetened chocolate almond milk in the microwave and add stevia. 40 calories for 8 oz. If I want a mocha flavour I mix it half and half with coffee. Add a squirt of canned whipping cream and you're still under 100 calories. To me, that's a win.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    I add unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla and a dash of cayenne to my coffee with a bit of stevia
  • AndreaTamira
    AndreaTamira Posts: 272 Member
    edited January 2021
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    ridiculous59 wrote: »
    I heat up unsweetened chocolate almond milk in the microwave and add stevia. 40 calories for 8 oz. If I want a mocha flavour I mix it half and half with coffee. Add a squirt of canned whipping cream and you're still under 100 calories. To me, that's a win.

    Unsweetened chocolate almond milk? Never even have seen that here.- Cool idea, though.
    rosebarnalice wrote: »
    I add unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla and a dash of cayenne to my coffee with a bit of stevia

    Cayenne? That's an interesting idea.
    emaSharmama wrote: »
    I agree, potassium is a struggle.
    I looked it up and saw that it isn't necessarily a good idea to get too much.
    Thank you for the comments

    I just wish I'd get even close to how much MFP recommends. I'll worry about "too much" if I ever touch that number. - Thanks for ghe heads up, though.

  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,493 Member
    edited January 2021
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    L1zardQueen wrote: »
    There is a no sugar variety of hot chocolate.

    Yes and it is pretty good! i5k9hwjnym0a.png
    p3ya5o46eziu.png
  • ridiculous59
    ridiculous59 Posts: 2,865 Member
    edited January 2021
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    AndreaTamira wrote: »
    ridiculous59 wrote: »
    I heat up unsweetened chocolate almond milk in the microwave and add stevia. 40 calories for 8 oz. If I want a mocha flavour I mix it half and half with coffee. Add a squirt of canned whipping cream and you're still under 100 calories. To me, that's a win.

    Unsweetened chocolate almond milk? Never even have seen that here.- Cool idea, though.

    There are a couple of different brands available here in Canada but I usually buy Almond Breeze. I use it in my smoothies too, with frozen raspberries, plain Greek yoghurt, and some stevia. Tastes like way more calories than it actually is 😉
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,913 Member
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    Trader Joe’s sometimes carries chocolate almond milk. Simply heat and drink. It’s out of season but the chocolate peppermint was reallly good.
  • emaSharmama
    emaSharmama Posts: 18 Member
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    Thank you all for some very interesting ideas I'll need to check out.
    It's always good to switch things up 😉
  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,736 Member
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    I love love hot chocolate! I use a plant based chocolate protein powder, almond milk and a teaspoon to tablespoon unsweetened cocoa. I also found the most INCREDIBLE protein hot chocolate ever!

    https://steelsupplements.com/collections/vegan-friendly/products/veg-pro

    I also mix coca powder, almond or other nut milk (Macadamia is really good!) stevia and sometimes add sugar free syrup. I have made whipped cream with a can of coc0nut cream- keep can in refrigerator at least a day, then drain liquid while keeping the cream. Use an electric mixer and mix until fluffy :)

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