Cocoa is a special powder made from cocoa beans. Ready-made cocoa is used to make a delicious drink that is loved by both children and adults. However, do not forget about its calorie content.
Cocoa in cooking is used in the form of a rich chocolate-colored powder, which is made from cocoa beans. It is cocoa that is the main component in the manufacture of chocolate and various products with its content.
Cocoa Nutritional Properties
Cocoa powder, obtained from cocoa beans by grinding them, usually has a fairly high nutritional value. So, 100 grams of this substance can contain about 24 grams of protein, about 28 grams of carbohydrates and up to 18 grams of fat. Such a rich composition provides this product with a sufficiently high energy value: the calorie content of cocoa with the specified content of the main food components can reach 380 kilocalories per 100 grams.
However, at present, in order to meet the demand for cocoa from people who, for one reason or another, prefer products with a reduced fat content, manufacturers have begun to use beans with less fat in their composition in the production of cocoa powder, or simply to defat the finished product. As a result, such cocoa powder can contain only about 11 grams of fat per 100 grams of the finished product, which provides it with a significantly lower calorie content - about 240 kilocalories per 100 grams.
Cocoa preparation
However, it should be borne in mind that pure cocoa is practically not used. So, the standard recipe for making a drink from cocoa powder, beloved by many, is as follows: you need to dilute 1-2 teaspoons of cocoa powder with a small amount of hot water or milk, mix thoroughly, and then add the required amount of liquid to the cup and bring to a boil. After that, add sugar, honey, or another sweetener to taste. For people who avoid sugar, such as those who are slimming or have a medical condition, sugar or honey can be substituted with a suitable artificial sweetener.
It should be borne in mind that one teaspoon contains about 5 grams of cocoa powder. Thus, the minimum calorie content of a non-fat cocoa beverage prepared in this way - per teaspoon of powder using water and sweetener - will be only about 15 kilocalories. However, replacing water with milk, adding sugar or honey, using two tablespoons of full-fat cocoa instead of one are ways to bring the calorie content of one cup of this delicious drink to 150-200 kilocalories. Therefore, its use for those who seek to control the amount of calories consumed should be taken into account in the total daily allowance.
