Benefit Chocolate (discontinued)
Sometimes a milk allergy makes it tricky to find suitable sweet treats and the dedicated free from brands tend to imitate milk or white chocolate which I've started to find too sweet. My taste buds are definitely changing with old age and in recent years I'm enjoying dark chocolate.
I recently took the opportunity to try Benefit Chocolate. It's a little out of my comfort zone at 85% Colombian Cacao as I normally favour 60/70% but I've been pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy the taste. What sets Benefit Chocolate apart from others is the additional vitamins and minerals. There are three options in the range - Protein (With almond and coconut 19% protein content.), Vitamins (Enriched to give you 50% of your daily vitamin intake) and Energy (blended with 3 key B vitamins). The chocolate is smooth and velvety with a hint of bitterness which I expected. The Vitamins and Energy bars taste the same to me and whilst both pleasant the Protein stands out as a favourite. You get a subtle taste of almond and coconut which are flavours I'm naturally drawn to.
I'm a food lover not a dietitian or nutritionist but like many of you I've read the health claims about dark chocolate. It's the cocoa flavanols which may have benefits to heart health but it's important to remember that you can't escape the calories, fat and sugar in some chocolate. Choosing dark chocolate over milk varieties may help you stick to smaller portions due to the strong flavour. I certainly believe that to be true for myself as I am less likely to scoff a dark chocolate bar in one sitting.
Benefit Chocolate is available in 40g and 80g bars. It is suitable for Vegans with labelling that states "produced in a factory that handles milk, nuts, peanuts and wheat"
Sarah x