Sunday, July 5, 2020

Bare Foods - Chocolate Coconut Chips - July 5, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Bare Foods Inc.
Chocolate Coconut Chips
Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (79 g.) in total package
Calories: Approx. 200 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $2.99 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Coconut Chips from Bare Foods Inc. (San Francisco, CA) pare down the combination of chocolate and coconut to the very basics. The company* makes preservative-free, Non-GMO fruit and veggie baked snacks.

This simple, baked snack had mild roasted coconut aroma with nutty, cocoa notes. The crunchy, cocoa-colored coconut shavings were sweetened with coconut nectar and were not too sweet (thank you)!

The cocoa was uniformly applied and the product was a balanced melding of cocoa and coconut.

At 19 carbs for one (1/2 cup) serving these were not a low carbohydrate snack (although 6 grams of that was fiber); but they were still relatively healthy, based on the following reasoning:

 1.) This snack had only three ingredients: coconuts, coconut nectar, and unsweetened cocoa. There were no additives, preservatives or refined white sugar(s) added. (Coconut nectar is lower on the glycemic index than beet or cane (white) sugar.)

2.) These were baked, not fried. There were no palm oils or other vegetable oils that had been heated or processed along with these three ingredients. Therefore, no worry about trans fats either.

3.) This product was not organic, but it was Non-GMO Project Verified, along with being gluten free.

4.) For those who are looking for roughage, there was 6 grams of dietary fiber in 1 serving (1/2 cup).

Note: I am assuming the cocoa powder is not alkalized cocoa--that is lower in health benefits (polyphenols/anti-oxidants) and still relatively high in phosphorus (for those with kidney issues watching their phosphorus-calcium balance).

*In 2018, PepsiCo announced it was acquiring Bare Foods.


Square Organics Inc. - Chocolate Coated Coconut Organic Protein Bar + 4th of July Sundae - July 4, 2020

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Square Organics Inc.
Chocolate Coated Coconut Organic Protein Bar
Good
Weight: 1.69 oz. (48 g.) / 20.3 oz. (576 g.) in total box of 12 bars
Calories: 230 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 box of 12 bars
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

So Delicious
Chocolate (Coconut) Frozen Dessert (No Sugar Added)
(with blueberries, red plum sauce, white coconut topping)
Good
Weight: 1/2 cup (85 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL) in total container
Calories: 130 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week. Today we celebrate the 4th of July Independence Day holiday in the U.S. I enjoyed two coconut and chocolate items. One was a red, white and blue sundae in honor of today's holiday.

Chocolate Covered Coconut Organic Protein Bar
The first of today's chocolate items was the Chocolate Coated Coconut Organic Protein Bar from Square Organics Inc. (Oakland, CA).

This individually-wrapped, chocolate covered protein bar was semi-sweet with oat-y and coconut palm sugar (think slightly caramelized, brown sugar) flavors. (It also contained other forms of coconut.) The slim, filled bar had a soft chew and was a relatively satisfying snack.

"So Delicious" Chocolate Coconutmilk Sundae - Happy 4th
Today's holiday sundae was made with So Delicious* Chocolate Coconutmilk Frozen Dessert (No Sugar Added). I topped this dairy free dessert with organic blueberries, homemade red plum sauce and (white) coconut cream.

The underlying non-dairy (also certified gluten-free and vegan, and Non-GMO Project Verified) chocolate frozen dessert was fairly creamy due to its coconut milk base.

This no sugar added dessert was sweetened with monk fruit and erythritol, and it wasn't too sweet. Nor did it taste like it was artificially sweetened (Thank you on both counts.)

Alkalized cocoa made the chocolate flavor less exciting (less acidic/strong); but this is not unusual with ice cream/frozen dessert and hot cocoa market offerings. Some prefer smoother, more predictable cocoa flavor.

*So Delicious Dairy Free (founded in Oregon in the 1980s) was acquired by The WhiteWave Foods Company (Denver, CO) in 2014. And in 2017, Danone S.A. (Paris, France) became the parent company of WhiteWave Foods.

**The company also offers versions of this dessert with sugar, which I have featured on Chocolate Banquet in past years.



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