Hotel Chocolat - Is it any good for Diabetics?

[tigerlily72]

Ok, with Xmas coming I'm thinking about the other C word . . . CHOCOLATE!

Hubby usually buys me a box of Thorntons but I can't have that this year Nor, can I tuck into a Chocolate Orange or a tin of Roses.

I've been looking at the chocolate range from "Hotel Chocolat" and specifically the diabetic range. It doesn't look too bad (compared to regular chocolate) and I just wondered if anyone had tried it and people's opinions please.

http://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/shop/collections/dietary/diabetic-chocolate

Hope the link works?

 

[ButtterflyLady]

Ok, with Xmas coming I'm thinking about the other C word . . . CHOCOLATE!

Hubby usually buys me a box of Thorntons but I can't have that this year Nor, can I tuck into a Chocolate Orange or a tin of Roses.

I've been looking at the chocolate range from "Hotel Chocolat" and specifically the diabetic range. It doesn't look too bad (compared to regular chocolate) and I just wondered if anyone had tried it and people's opinions please.

http://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/shop/collections/dietary/diabetic-chocolate

Hope the link works?

Personally I think it's ok to have a small amount of high carb food for a special occasion, as long as it's not going to start a trend of eating it all the time, or cause you to have unpleasant symptoms afterwards. A whole box or tin is probably counterproductive but if you really love chocolate oranges, I don't see a huge risk. Everyone is different though.

 

[mrman]

Everything in moderation, especially the nice tasting things

 

[AndBreathe]

Ok, with Xmas coming I'm thinking about the other C word . . . CHOCOLATE!

Hubby usually buys me a box of Thorntons but I can't have that this year Nor, can I tuck into a Chocolate Orange or a tin of Roses.

I've been looking at the chocolate range from "Hotel Chocolat" and specifically the diabetic range. It doesn't look too bad (compared to regular chocolate) and I just wondered if anyone had tried it and people's opinions please.

http://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/shop/collections/dietary/diabetic-chocolate

Hope the link works?

They do do some high content chocolate, so there may be options. You could email them and ask for the nutritional data for their range. Most places can email that sort of thing as a .pdf.

I would always avoid the "classic" diabetic style chocolate as it tends to be very sweet and sweetened with sorbitol, which can have an unfortunate and undesirable impact on your bathroom behaviour, and it can be pretty rapid too!

 

[Shar67]

Anything labelled "diabetic" should be avoided, hotel chocolate do a large range, dark chocolate is better (less sugar) if you do get chocolate, spread eating it over weeks rather than days

 

[lovinglife]

Hotel chocolat don't actually have a diabetic range, they do lots of really good dark chocolate with high coco content, apart from Lindt on a rare occasion it's the only chocolate I enjoy, love the chocolate coated coffee beans and the batons are good too.

I get an Easter egg every year from hubby but it lasts me months - finished this years at the beginning of August - hoping for smething nice from Santa that will probably last me until Easter

Their chocolate has no artificial sweeteners so no ****. For the very brave you can try the 100% bars - you just need a very tiny bit and it takes you a little time to get used to the intensity but I love it!

 

[tim2000s]

The 100% dark chocolates fromHotel Chocolate are amazing and as with all 100% dark chocolate, about 10g carbs per 100g.

 

[Brunneria]

I'm not impressed by the Hotel Chocolat brand. The flavours just dont do it for me.

But other brands? Hell yeah! Usually the 70% cocoa solids bars.

 

[Robbity]

What you really need to see, but they don't seem give, is the actual carbohydrate/sugar content. But at least the one I looked at didn't appear to contain any polyols, etc that diabetic choccies are often filled with and can cause the sort of tummy upsets you definitely don't want over Christmas. But the best way you can find out if they're suitable is to eat in moderation and test. if you can avoid scoffing the lot they may be OK.

Based on Sainsbury's nutritional information there are just over 97 grams of carbs in a whole 175g, 20 slice, Terry's Chocolate Orange, so 1 piece has 4.85 gram of carbs. Which to put it in proportion is about the same as 2.5 pieces of Lindt 85% dark chocolate, so I'd consider a single slice not that unreasonable for a nice treat.

Robbity

 

[tigerlily72]

Personally I think it's ok to have a small amount of high carb food for a special occasion, as long as it's not going to start a trend of eating it all the time, or cause you to have unpleasant symptoms afterwards. A whole box or tin is probably counterproductive but if you really love chocolate oranges, I don't see a huge risk. Everyone is different though.

I am a bit of a chocolate piggy but I know I have to be good now. I thought Dark Choc would be much better due to the higher cocoa content and reduced sugar in it. I would plan to have a bar and depending on how big the bar was, to break off a section of it daily. I would usually eat the milk chocolate version of a chocolate orange but I'm pretty sure they do a dark chocolate one. I'll have to check out the ingredients/fat content/carbs/sugar etc nearer the time.

 

[tigerlily72]

They do do some high content chocolate, so there may be options. You could email them and ask for the nutritional data for their range. Most places can email that sort of thing as a .pdf.

I would always avoid the "classic" diabetic style chocolate as it tends to be very sweet and sweetened with sorbitol, which can have an unfortunate and undesirable impact on your bathroom behaviour, and it can be pretty rapid too!

Yes, I had heard about the laxative effects of so called diabetic foods. My hubby's Mum has been a Type 2 for years and he found out the hard way but slathering diabetic jam/marmalade over his toast. He didn't make that mistake again!

I think I'll need to do a recce instore and check out the labels and ingredients.

 

[tigerlily72]

Hotel chocolat don't actually have a diabetic range, they do lots of really good dark chocolate with high coco content, apart from Lindt on a rare occasion it's the only chocolate I enjoy, love the chocolate coated coffee beans and the batons are good too.

I get an Easter egg every year from hubby but it lasts me months - finished this years at the beginning of August - hoping for smething nice from Santa that will probably last me until Easter

Their chocolate has no artificial sweeteners so no ****. For the very brave you can try the 100% bars - you just need a very tiny bit and it takes you a little time to get used to the intensity but I love it!

Thanks for the recommendations The chocolate coated coffee beans sound nice. I don't think I'd be brave enough to go for a 100% bar but I could work up to it in stages over a period of months.

 

[tigerlily72]

The 100% dark chocolates fromHotel Chocolate are amazing and as with all 100% dark chocolate, about 10g carbs per 100g.

Not sure I'm ready for 100% cocoa yet but 70-80% would be ok I think.

 

[tigerlily72]

I'm not impressed by the Hotel Chocolat brand. The flavours just dont do it for me.

But other brands? Hell yeah! Usually the 70% cocoa solids bars.

Hi Brunneria. I haven't actually tried any bars from Hotel Chocolat as some of them are quite pricey so I was going to suggest to hubby what I thought may be nice as a stocking filler from him for Xmas. He usually buys me some chocolate as one of my pressies . I usually buy the 70% cocoa from Aldi.

 

[tigerlily72]

What you really need to see, but they don't seem give, is the actual carbohydrate/sugar content. But at least the one I looked at didn't appear to contain any polyols, etc that diabetic choccies are often filled with and can cause the sort of tummy upsets you definitely don't want over Christmas. But the best way you can find out if they're suitable is to eat in moderation and test. if you can avoid scoffing the lot they may be OK.

Based on Sainsbury's nutritional information there are just over 97 grams of carbs in a whole 175g, 20 slice, Terry's Chocolate Orange, so 1 piece has 4.85 gram of carbs. Which to put it in proportion is about the same as 2.5 pieces of Lindt 85% dark chocolate, so I'd consider a single slice not that unreasonable for a nice treat.

Robbity

Thanks for providing those figures for me . It'll mean I need to refrain from eating more than one or two chocolate orange segments if I do ask hubby to buy one of those for me! And, to ration myself over the next 1-2wks as well

 

[Robbity]

I thought Dark Choc would be much better due to the higher cocoa content and reduced sugar in it. I would plan to have a bar and depending on how big the bar was, to break off a section of it daily. I would usually eat the milk chocolate version of a chocolate orange but I'm pretty sure they do a dark chocolate one.

The figures I've given are for the dark chocolate (ball rather than bar) version - milk chocolate is usually a big No-No carbs wise - the higher the cocoa content the lower the carbs are likely to be.

Looking up nutritional info is a good way to find if things could be OK for us to eat. While some foods are given ridiculously small portion sizes to make (bad) figures look good, it's usually possible to work out what a reasonable portion size would be for us - or how much we could eat given a specific carb limit. Checking with meters will confirm or refute this.

Robbity

 

[Brunneria]

Hi Brunneria. I haven't actually tried any bars from Hotel Chocolat as some of them are quite pricey so I was going to suggest to hubby what I thought may be nice as a stocking filler from him for Xmas. He usually buys me some chocolate as one of my pressies . I usually buy the 70% cocoa from Aldi.

Are those the Prue Leith school of cookery ones?
Cos they are GORGEOUS!
Aldi's Moser Roth ones are gorgeous too.

Every Xmas my beloved (and he is even MORE beloved when he does this) buys me a small box of Heston Blumenthal's chocolates. They are milk, plain and dark, to they ain't D friendly. But one a day, after a meal, is OK for me.

Have to say they are the best chocs ever. They beat Hotel Choc, Godiva, Montezuma and Duffy's, are 3 million times better than Thorntons...

OK, i will shut up now. I seem to have well and truly outed my choc addidiction/snobbery!

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

@tigerlily72 How about you start a brand new Christmas tradition of your hubby turning chocolatier to make a bespoke chocolate bark for his lovely wife with all her favourite things in it? It's dead easy and guarantees he will get brownie points and you will get the flavours you like?

To make chocolate bark, melt choc in a bowl placed over a pan of hot water (the bowl should not touch the water), pour the melted choc onto a sheet of tinfoil so it forms a thin layer then sprinkle with your favourite toppings. When the choc sets, break into random pieces and put in a pretty box in your Christmas stocking.

This is one I made with 85% choc, toasted hazelnuts and orange zest.

I've also made one with chili, lime and brazils.

I had a bar of M&S Intense Dark Chocolate recently. 85% cocoa, Fairtrade, 23.7% carbs, £2 per 100g bar. It is the best choc I have tasted yet, even better than Green and Blacks, in my opinion.

 

[tigerlily72]

Are those the Prue Leith school of cookery ones?
Cos they are GORGEOUS!
Aldi's Moser Roth ones are gorgeous too.

Every Xmas my beloved (and he is even MORE beloved when he does this) buys me a small box of Heston Blumenthal's chocolates. They are milk, plain and dark, to they ain't D friendly. But one a day, after a meal, is OK for me.

Have to say they are the best chocs ever. They beat Hotel Choc, Godiva, Montezuma and Duffy's, are 3 million times better than Thorntons...

OK, i will shut up now. I seem to have well and truly outed my choc addidiction/snobbery!

Perhaps we should start a new thread for Chocoholics Anonymous! It's the Moser Roth one's I buy from Aldi and yes they are good

I will have to google the Heston Blumenthal's ones now . . . . .

 

[tigerlily72]

@tigerlily72 How about you start a brand new Christmas tradition of your hubby turning chocolatier to make a bespoke chocolate bark for his lovely wife with all her favourite things in it? It's dead easy and guarantees he will get brownie points and you will get the flavours you like?

To make chocolate bark, melt choc in a bowl placed over a pan of hot water (the bowl should not touch the water), pour the melted choc onto a sheet of tinfoil so it forms a thin layer then sprinkle with your favourite toppings. When the choc sets, break into random pieces and put in a pretty box in your Christmas stocking.

This is one I made with 85% choc, toasted hazelnuts and orange zest.

I've also made one with chili, lime and brazils.

I had a bar of M&S Intense Dark Chocolate recently. 85% cocoa, Fairtrade, 23.7% carbs, £2 per 100g bar. It is the best choc I have tasted yet, even better than Green and Blacks, in my opinion.

Now, that's a great idea! Liking the look of making your own so you can flavour it (if needed) according to taste. Hubby is actually a trained chef although he doesn't work as a chef now, and didn't when I met him. He still enjoys cooking so maybe I will turn him into a chocolatier Thank you very much