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Can You Still Eat Chocolate If You’re Lactose Intolerant?

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Lactose intolerance is a common but frustrating issue that prevents people around the world from being able to enjoy foods with any milk or dairy products without experiencing stomach aches and abdominal discomfort.

But the good news is that you don’t have to give up sweet, decadent chocolate, even if you are lactose intolerant! Here’s how to enjoy chocolate even if you are lactose intolerant.

What Causes Lactose Intolerance?

First, let’s get a little technical: what exactly does it mean to be lactose intolerant, anyway?

People who are lactose intolerant cannot properly digest milk and other dairy products because they don’t make enough of the enzyme lactase.

Your body relies on digestive enzymes to help break down nutrients from your food and digest them. One of these enzymes is lactase, which helps break down lactose, the type of sugar that is found in milk and milk products.

Someone who is lactose intolerant does not produce enough lactase in your small intestine to properly digest milk, which can lead to a variety of uncomfortable symptoms upon consumption like:

  • Bloating
  • Gas
  • Diarrhea
  • Cramps
  • Nausea

Lactose intolerance is not to be confused with a dairy allergy, where people have an allergic reaction to milk and can experience severe symptoms like rashes, hives, and even anaphylaxis on top of abdominal issues.

So lactose intolerance usually isn’t a severe or life-threatening condition, but its symptoms are often unpleasant enough that people who suffer from it choose to avoid dairy when possible.

Chocolate And Lactose Intolerance

So what does lactose intolerance have to do with chocolate?

Unfortunately, milk and chocolate have historically gone hand-in-hand, which can present a problem for anyone who can’t consume milk or milk products.

On its own, chocolate itself is lactose intolerant-friendly since it doesn’t inherently contain milk. It is made from the fermented, roasted, and processed beans of the cacao tree. Those beans are then ground down into a cocoa powder, which is then used to make the sweet chocolate products we’re familiar with.

But pure cocoa powder and chocolate are actually fairly bitter, which means that other ingredients are often added to chocolate during production to mellow out the taste and bring it closer to that sweet, decadent treat that we’re familiar with. Milk is one of the most common ingredients that is added to chocolate since it can add some creaminess and help neutralize the bitterness of the pure chocolate powder. You probably know this product as “milk chocolate,” one of the more popular types of chocolate used in candies, sweets, and baking. As the name suggests, this can sometimes cause issues for people with lactose intolerance.

But on the bright side, there are plenty of chocolate options for people who are lactose intolerant!

What To Look For In A Chocolate If You’re Lactose Intolerant

If you suffer from lactose intolerance and want to find a chocolate bar that won’t upset your stomach, the easiest option is to look for candies that state that they’re lactose-free right on the label. Chocolate products that are specifically marketed to people avoiding milk and dairy will often declare themselves to be “dairy-free” or “plant-based” or “vegan” on the packaging. All of these labels indicate that there is no milk used during production!

In the absence of any “dairy-free” claims, you can also simply read the nutrition label and ingredients list to determine whether or not any milk was used in the processing. Milk may also appear under other terms on the nutrition label including:

  • Whey
  • Cream
  • Lactose
  • Cream
  • Dairy product solids
  • Half-and-half
  • Rennet

Some chocolate fillings like caramels or nougat might also use milk. Familiarize yourself with the different terms that indicate milk so that you don’t have to suffer any surprise upset stomachs later!

Lactose intolerant chocolate lovers can also stick with dark chocolate — and as a general rule, the darker, the better! The difference between dark chocolate and milk chocolate all comes down to the amount of dairy and other ingredients added. When dark chocolates have a percentage listed on the label, it tells you how much actual cocoa is present versus milk, sugar, and other ingredients. So the higher the percentage, the more actual chocolate is in the bar.

If you prefer the sweeter taste of milk chocolate over dark chocolate, you can always look for chocolate brands that use alternative plant-based milk instead. Some chocolate brands will use dairy-free alternatives like coconut milk and almond milk to make products with the same sweet taste of milk chocolate, minus the dairy that could activate an abdominal reaction.

However, it’s important to note that relying on dark chocolate and “dairy-free” labels on their own might not be enough of a guarantee that there is no milk present. The FDA did a survey of dark chocolate products that were labeled as “dairy-free” and found that 4 out of the 52 products did contain high levels of milk that could be potentially hazardous for people suffering from dairy allergies. This is likely due to cross-contamination since those chocolate products were made on equipment that was also used to make milk chocolate. The trace amounts of milk might not always trigger a reaction if you’re lactose intolerant, but it’s still a possibility.

Ultimately, the best ways to know whether or not the chocolate you’re eyeing is dairy-free are to read the nutrition labels and research your chocolate brands of choice.

Other Options For Lactose Intolerant Chocolate Lovers

  • Take a supplement to help your body digest lactose. People who suffer from lactose intolerance can sometimes enjoy dairy products simply by popping a lactase pill. These pills contain the lactase enzyme that helps break down lactose and can be taken along with the consumption of milk chocolate or other dairy products to prevent or minimize any gastrointestinal distress.
  • Increase your probiotic intake. In addition to the digestive enzymes that your body makes, you also have trillions of bacteria in your gut that help you digest the foods that you eat! Because they are so important for your digestion, some research has shown that eating probiotics, a type of healthy bacteria found in food items like yogurt and some supplements, could potentially help alleviate some symptoms of lactose intolerance.

Conclusion

Being lactose intolerant does not automatically mean that you have to cut out your chocolate consumption. Stick with dark chocolate and dairy-free brands to ensure that your favorite treat doesn’t leave you suffering from an upset stomach later.

15 Healthy, Vegan Chocolate Desserts To Satisfy Your Plant-Based Sweet Tooth

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There are plenty of good reasons to go vegan, but it does require some adjustment to your current cooking and baking routines. Luckily, there are plenty of great ingredient swaps in baking that allow you to enjoy your favorite sweet chocolate treats the vegan way!

Whether you’re new to vegan cooking or just looking for something new to add to your dessert arsenal, we’ve rounded up some of the most delicious plant-based chocolate recipes so that you can have your cake and eat it too!

Is Chocolate Vegan?

Veganism is the practice of not eating animal products like milk and dairy. Luckily, cutting out animal products doesn’t mean that you have to give up sweet treats, including chocolate.

Chocolate itself is a vegan-friendly ingredient made from the refined beans of the cacao tree. However, milk is also often added to chocolate to make milk chocolate, so stick with dairy-free dark chocolate to keep your desserts plant-based. You can also look for chocolates labeled as  “vegan” or “plant-based” to ensure that they align with your needs.

Non-Vegan Ingredients

Of course, there’s more to desserts than just chocolate! Some common baking ingredients that make a dessert unsuitable for vegans include:

  • Milk
  • Butter
  • Eggs
  • Cream
  • Gelatin
  • Lard
  • Cream cheese

There may also be some other ingredients that you’ll want to look out for while searching for a good vegan recipe, depending on your own preferences. For example, some vegans will also choose not to eat honey or use beeswax since they’re made by bees. Even some refined sugar is sometimes considered non-vegan since it’s usually filtered through bone char to get that bright white coloring.

Now, on to the desserts!

15 Delicious and Healthy Vegan Chocolate Dessert Recipes

  1. Fudgy Vegan Brownies
    There’s no other dessert that captures the rich goodness of chocolate quite like a warm, fudgy brownie. Luckily, it’s super-easy to make them with all-vegan ingredients! This recipe from Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen makes a couple of easy swaps for a gooey, rich brownie — simply exchange butter for vegan butter and milk for plant milk, and you’re left with a pan of delicious plant-based brownies that tastes amazing straight out of the oven.

  2. Vegan Chocolate Cake
    You don’t have to give up your love of moist chocolate cakes when you go vegan! This delicious recipe from Nora Cooks makes a rich, decadent, cake that stays moist even without eggs or butter due to the addition of apple sauce. It also comes with a vegan “buttercream” recipe so that you can make the ultimate showstopping chocolate masterpiece for birthdays, celebrations, or just because.

  3. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Nothing hits the sweet spot quite like a classic chocolate chip cookie. This highly-rated veganized version of your favorite childhood sweet is soft, chewy, and super simple to make with ingredients you probably already have in your baking pantry. The result? A warm, decadent classic that satisfies that cookie craving every single time.

  4. Vegan Chocolate Pie
    This “mind-blowing” vegan chocolate pie by Pinch Of Yum has only a handful of ingredients, doesn’t require any baking, and yet it can stand up to any non-vegan pie on the table. Use a pre-made vegan pie crust of your choice, some silken tofu for structure, and a scoop of rich almond butter to make an easy and delicious pie.

  5. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
    Can’t decide between chocolate or peanut butter cookies? Make both! This recipe from Love and Lemons is rich, decadent, and every peanut-butter-chocolate lover’s dream, combining the best parts of a chocolate chip cookie, peanut butter cookie, and bar all in one tasty treat. Just make sure that you’re using a vegan peanut butter brand if you’re concerned about honey, refined sugar, or cross-contamination from other non-vegan products produced in the same facility.

  6. Vegan Chocolate Cookies
    If you love your chocolate with a side of more chocolate, these double-chocolate cookies from Lovin’ It Vegan are going to be calling your name! The base is made from a vegan-friendly dough that holds up well with your choice of plant-based milk, and they’re filled (and topped) with even more delicious morsels of vegan chocolate chips.

  7. Avocado Chocolate Mousse
    Avocados are everyone’s favorite healthy fat, and it turns out that they make a great creamy addition to vegan desserts as well. This Healthy Recipes chocolate mousse uses a ripe Haas avocado and cocoa powder to make an airy and decadent mousse that you won’t be able to resist devouring by the spoonful.

  8. Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
    Have a bunch of bananas sitting on your counter? Make a vegan banana bread — with plenty of chocolate, of course! This banana bread recipe by Bianca Zapatka uses a couple of very ripe bananas, cocoa powder, and plenty of vegan chocolate chips to make a sweet treat that can be enjoyed guilt-free at any time of the day: for breakfast, as a mid-day snack, and as the perfect after-dinner dessert.

  9. Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream
    You just can’t beat the simple joy of a scoop of chocolate ice cream, and a homemade vegan version is even better! All you’ll need is a can of coconut milk, cocoa or cacao powder, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to make a delicious and plant-based ice cream option. Top with your favorite fruits, nuts, and more chocolate for an indulgent vegan treat.

  10. Easy Baked Chocolate Donuts
    This vegan donut recipe by Minimalist Baker gives you a double-dose of vegan chocolatey goodness with a sweet and cakey chocolate batter and coconut oil-chocolate glaze. Bonus points: this recipe is also gluten-free and baked, not fried, for extra health benefits.

  11. Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
    The delicate chocolate flavors of red velvet cupcakes make them a popular festive dessert for chocolate lovers, but they’re usually paired with a decidedly non-vegan cream cheese frosting. This recipe by 40 Aprons bypasses all the usual animal-based products to create a light, airy red velvet cupcake topped with a delicious vegan “cream cheese” frosting for the perfect dose of cocoa sweetness.

  12. Salted Dark Chocolate Tart
    A little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and totally indulgent, this homemade salted dark chocolate tart from Gimme Some Oven is sure to be a crowdpleaser at any party or get-together. It’s also really simple to make: simply mix and press the crust ingredients in a pan and bake it to hold its shape, then melt together the filling and refrigerate until ready to eat.

  13. Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
    No, you don’t have to give up rich, creamy cheesecakes just because you’re vegan! This chocolate cheesecake recipe from The Vegan 8 replaces the usual dairy-based filling with raw cashews and cocoa butter, making a sweet, luscious cheesecake that’s sure to satisfy even your strongest chocolate cravings.

  14. Vegan Chocolate Brioche Buns
    There are few smells quite as nice as good bread baking in the oven — and few chocolate desserts quite as satisfying as a decadent chocolate bun! If a nice, soft sweetbread is more your speed for desserts, you’ll love these chocolate-filled brioche buns by Bianca Zapatka. You’ll only need a handful of ingredients including dairy-free yogurt, yeast, vegan butter, and plenty of vegan chocolate chips that you can enjoy at any time (though let’s be real, they’re at their best when they’re hot and fresh out of the oven).

  15. Coconut Oil Chocolate Bark
    Chocolate bark is one of the simplest chocolate desserts you can make, but the payoff is a rich treat that can satisfy your chocolate cravings every single time. This vegan version from Oh She Glows requires just a couple of ingredients and is flavored with a couple of favorites like almonds, hazelnuts, coconut oil, and dried coconut flakes.

Conclusion

Chocolate desserts are some of the simplest pleasures in life, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy them without compromising on your vegan needs. Ditch the dairy and eggs, make some easy swaps, and you’ll find that vegan chocolate desserts can be just as rich and indulgent as any other baked goods out there!

Do Vegans Eat Chocolate?

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Plant-based eating has become very popular in the past couple of years, and the reasons for its popularity just keep on growing. Whether you’re concerned about your personal health or the sustainability of the planet, cutting out animal products and going vegan is one of the best things you can do to make a major impact.

But for people who want to go vegan but love their sweets and desserts, it begs an important question: does that mean you have to cut out chocolate?

Luckily, the answer is no, not necessarily! Here’s how you can go vegan and still enjoy your favorite decadent chocolate treats.

What is veganism?

Veganism is the practice of not using any animal products. The most popular type of veganism is dietary veganism, which involves cutting out meat, dairy, and other foods that use animals in their production, although many vegans also avoid using other animal products like leather or fur.

People decide to go vegan for a variety of reasons including religion, minimizing their carbon footprints, improving their health, and over concerns about the ethical treatment of animals used in food and textile production.

Is Chocolate Vegan?

The good news here: at its core, chocolate is vegan-friendly! This is because chocolate actually comes from a plant — more specifically, the cacao tree.

How Chocolate Is Made

Chocolate is made from the beans of cacao trees. After the cacao beans are picked, they’re processed and roasted at high temperatures to mellow out the bitter flavors and make sweeter-tasting cocoa. From there, the cocoa beans are ground into a powder, which is then used to make the chocolate you know and love today.

So chocolate itself is just made from plants, making it suitable for vegans. It’s also pretty healthy, boasting a huge number of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds!

But the issue becomes a bit more complex when you start adding other ingredients to the cocoa powder to make the final product. Things like milk, honey, and even sugar can make the final chocolate product non-vegan.

What To Look For When Looking For Vegan Chocolate

If you are vegan, there are a couple of key considerations to keep in mind when you’re shopping around for chocolates. Ideally, a chocolate bar will say that it is “vegan” or “plant-based” on its label. But if you’re unsure, here are a couple of over things to keep in mind.

When you’re looking for a vegan-friendly chocolate bar, a good rule of thumb is that the darker the chocolate is, the better. The percentage on the label refers to the amount of cocoa present versus any other ingredients like milk and sugar. So the higher the percentage of dark chocolate, the fewer additives and flavorings there are. Meanwhile, “milk chocolate” contains 50% or less actual chocolate and, as the name suggests, contains added milk and other sweeteners, rendering the chocolate bar non-vegan.

However, looking for dark chocolate and sticking with a high cocoa percentage alone doesn’t guarantee that your chocolate bar is vegan. It might still contain other additives and ingredients that make the bar non-vegan, so it’s important to still read through the ingredient list and nutrition labels to ensure you aren’t compromising on your vegan diet. Some ingredients to keep an eye out for and avoid on your hunt for good vegan chocolate include:

  • Milk: As we already mentioned, cow’s milk is one of the most common ingredients added to chocolate to mellow out the bitter flavors and add some sweetness. Milk can also show up on a nutrition label under other, less-obvious terms like “casein,” “curd,” “whey,” “lactose”, and “rennet.” It’s also possible that your dark chocolate bar can become cross-contaminated with dairy from milk chocolate products that are produced on the same equipment.
  • Honey: Honey is a popular sweetener in many sweets and chocolates. But of course, honey is made by bees, which means that some vegans choose to avoid it completely.
  • Refined sugar: Even sugar can make a candy bar non-vegan! Refined sugars (the highly processed, pure-white sugar you are probably familiar with) are often filtered through bone char from cattle to get them white. Avoid any chocolate bars that contain added or refined sugars — or better yet, choose chocolates that are sweetened with fruits like dates!

That said, you don’t have to rule out the mellower, sweet tastes of milk chocolate completely and stick only to dark chocolate to satisfy your chocolate craving. Some milk chocolate and even white chocolate options might actually be vegan-friendly if they’re made with plant “milk” instead of cow milk!  For example, chocolates that are sweetened with coconut milk or almond milk are vegan-friendly as long as there are no other animal products listed in the ingredients.

The bottom line here is that it’s always important to read the label, especially if the chocolate doesn’t specify that it’s vegan-friendly.

What about chocolate fillings?

As any chocolate lover knows, many chocolate bars are made with more than just chocolate alone. Many dark chocolate bars also have mix-ins, add-ons, and fillings like nuts, sea salt, fruits, nougats, caramels, and jams. These are great options for adding some sweetness to bitter dark chocolates.

But while these can help sweeten the inherent bitter taste of darker chocolates, certain ingredients can also make a chocolate bar non-vegan. Again, make sure to read the ingredients list on the nutrition label to determine whether those bars are suitable for your vegan needs.

Some common chocolate fillings that might include milk, butter, or other animal-based products include nougat, caramels, and some nut butter.

Final Thoughts

Good chocolate is one of the simplest and most delicious joys in life, and the good news is that you don’t have to give up chocolate if you decide to go vegan. Sticking with high-percentage dark chocolate and shopping with brands that cater to plant-based eaters gives you plenty of options for indulging in chocolate treats without compromising on your beliefs or your health practices.

Is Dark Chocolate Good For You?

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Good news for chocolate lovers: eating a small piece of your favorite sweet treat might come with some pretty major health benefits!

Chocolate has long been the decadent snack of choice for bakers, dessert fiends, and candy lovers alike. But because it’s so rich and indulgent, that also means that it doesn’t always have the best reputation in the health and nutrition world — in fact, it’s usually one of the first things that people with sweet tooths feel like they should limit when they’re trying to eat healthier.

But as it turns out, chocolate in its purest form (which means dark chocolate, not milk or white varieties) can definitely have a place in a healthy and balanced diet! Read on to learn all about the health benefits of dark chocolate and how you can enjoy your favorite treat while doing something good for your body at the same time.

What Is Dark Chocolate?

There are three different kinds of chocolate that you’re probably familiar with: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. All three come from cacao seeds, a highly nutritious South American staple that’s often touted as a “superfood” for its rich nutrient profile. The cacao seeds are then processed down into a cocoa powder and then used to make the chocolate products that you know and love.

The difference between the kinds of chocolate lies in how much cocoa is in them versus other ingredients and additives that are used in the processing:

  • Dark chocolate is made with few or no additives, so it contains anywhere from 50-90% cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar.
  • Milk chocolate, as you might guess from the name, is further processed and has milk and other ingredients added to neutralize the taste. This means that it has less total cocoa solids and butter (about 10-50%).
  • White chocolate has no cocoa solids at all, just cocoa butter, sugar, and milk.

Because dark chocolate is less processed than the other kinds of chocolate, it retains many of the same nutrients that are found in cacao but gets lost or reduced during processing into milk or white varieties.  For example, dark chocolate is a great source of dietary fiber, as well as the minerals magnesium, copper, potassium, and iron, all of which are essential for your heart health.

But the real power of dark chocolate lies in its antioxidants. In fact, this sweet treat has more antioxidants than many other foods including acai berries and wine!

This is because dark chocolate has a ton of flavonols, a type of plant-based nutrient. These flavonols are responsible for the bitter taste of dark chocolate, but the tradeoff is that they can also come with some pretty major health benefits. Namely, flavonols are powerful antioxidants that can help fight off inflammation and cell damage that are responsible for many chronic health issues.

Health Benefits Of Dark Chocolate

  1. Better heart healthThe nutrients found in dark chocolate are excellent tools for protecting your heart health. For example, dietary fiber is thought to help improve cholesterol levels, and the minerals magnesium, copper, potassium, and calcium are all essential for maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.

    Its powerful antioxidants and flavonols also play a huge role in protecting your heart. Several studies have found that eating dark chocolate has a number of benefits on heart health. For example, flavonols can help your body create nitric oxide, which is a gas that can help relax your blood vessels. This can then help improve your blood flow and ultimately lower high blood pressure and reduce your risk of issues like heart disease and heart attacks.

  2. Improves brain healthBecause the flavonols in dark chocolate can improve your blood flow, this is also good news for your brain health. Strokes are the result of a blockage of blood flow to your brain, so the regular consumption of flavonols in dark chocolate has been associated with the reduced risk of strokes as well as heart attacks.

    Those antioxidants are also great for your cognition — in other words, your focus, memory, and brainpower. The flavonols found in cocoa and chocolate have been found to improve cognition in a number of human studies.

  3. Promotes good skinThose same flavonols that give your heart and brain a boost are also great for your skin!

    Too much sun exposure can have a major impact on the health of your skin over time, with consequences ranging from wrinkles to skin cancer, which is why it’s so important to wear your sunscreen. But eating nutritious foods like dark chocolate could also help! A study found that the flavonols found in dark chocolate are effective at helping protect your skin from the damaging UV rays from the sun.

How To Use Dark Chocolate As A Healthy Snack

Dark chocolate can be used in a variety of ways, like as an ingredient in baking or trail mixes. But the best way to take advantage of the health benefits of dark chocolate is to eat it as is!

Choosing dark chocolate: The less processed a bar of dark chocolate is, the more likely it will be to have retained all those essential nutrients that are otherwise lost in milk and white chocolate varieties during the manufacturing process. As such, you want to pay attention to the cocoa percentage: choosing 70% dark chocolate or higher means that you’ll get more of the nutrients that make dark chocolate a heart-healthy snack.

Serving sizes: Your portions also matter here. At the end of the day, dark chocolate is still chocolate, which means that it has a lot of fats, calories, and sugar in addition to its flavonols and minerals. So if you’re eating dark chocolate for its health benefits, it’s usually best to stick with a small individual portion as a treat to avoid overindulging.

Key Takeaways

Dark chocolate is rich, decadent, delicious … and yes, it’s good for you! With a rich nutrition profile full of fiber, minerals, and anti-inflammatory plant-based compounds, dark chocolate makes a great snack to satisfy your sweet tooth without compromising on your healthy eating habits. For best results, eat a small serving size of high-quality dark chocolate regularly; you don’t need a huge portion to reap the health benefits.