Chocolate on a Low-Carb Diet

Chocolate is not carbohydrate free, but you don’t have to swear off chocolate forever if you want to live a low-carb lifestyle. Even Dr. Atkins’ book, “The New Diet Revolution” included recipes for chocolate truffles!

One ounce of unsweetened chocolate has about 145 calories and 8 grams of carbohydrate, a little over half of which is fiber. Chocolate is also rich in many minerals -- for example, one ounce of unsweetened chocolate contains about a quarter of the iron and magnesium we need in a day, and about half of the copper and manganese. Most of the fat in chocolate is healthy fat –- either monounsaturated fat or stearic acid, a “good saturated fat.”

Adapting your current recipes may be tricky at first, so you are better off using recipes designed to be low-carb. For example, try this recipe for chocolate cupcakes from Low Carb Connoisseur (http://www.low-carb.com/newyostchfrl.html)

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

* 2 cups almond flour*
* 1 cup Splenda*
* 6 Tablespoons butter
* 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 1 teaspoon Singing Dog Vanilla Extract*
* 5 eggs, separated
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 5 Tablespoons Ghiradelli Unsweetened Cocoa*

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Whip egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff. In separate bowl, using electric mixer, cream butter with egg yolks until light yellow and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and Splenda. Beat until well mixed. Add about 1/3 of whipped egg whites to the butter/egg yolk mixture and mix lightly. Fold the whole thing in to the whipped egg whites and fold lightly. Add 1 cup of almond flour and fold lightly. Add remaining almond flour, baking powder and cocoa and fold thoroughly, being careful not to break down whites.

 

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