How To Make Hot Chocolate Which Is Delicious And Healthy ??

            Most of us have likely grown up with the sugar and chemical-laden hot chocolate powder bought in our local grocery store. Even though we know the stuff is really, really unhealthy, we justify it with excuses of how tasty it is, how good it feels on a cold or wet day, or that we don't drink it very often so it is okay. I admit to being guilty of all those excuses, either individually or all at once.

            My mother is my own personal health guru. Truly, if it weren't for her constant studying and searching for healthy alternatives to just about everything on our planet, I would still be drinking that sugar-laden, chemical-laced excuse for hot chocolate. One of the things she has discovered is organic chocolate. Certainly, organic chocolate can be at least an entire article all by itself; but today, I'm just discussing its use for drinking and specifically, the powder form.



            The hot chocolate mixes one typically purchases in the store seem to average about 100-150 calories and carbohydrate counts in the 20s. These counts mainly stem from the sugar added. I'm looking at the pure cacao powder purchased from my local health food store and there are 60 calories and 9 total carbohydrates. Yes, this does cost a bit more than the regular stuff, but, does it really? In a bulk store here, a certain brand of hot chocolate is $10.00 for 50 servings at 0.20 per serving. The cacao powder I use is $19.00 for 32 servings at just under 0.60 per serving. One is almost pure sugar, the other is pure chocolate. I add xylitol to my hot drink for a sweetener as it is a natural, organic product from fruits and vegetables. Depending on where you purchase your xylitol, that is approximately an additional 0.07.

            Depending on my mood at the time, I make my hot chocolate in different ways. Usually, just water, cacao powder and xylitol. Other times, I use chocolate almond milk instead of water. Sometimes I am feeling dangerous and add a dash of cayenne pepper and homemade vanilla extract.

            Before you say the price is too expensive, think about what you pay in a restaurant for the watered-down chocolate-flavored water - well over a dollar, sometimes two. So think about it, 0.20 for a cup of essentially sugar and chemicals at home or 0.70 for pure hot chocolate with a natural sweetener done to your own taste.

Try it, you won't be disappointed. By the way, thanks Mom!