ALABAMA A&M and AUBURN UNIVERSITIES

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CHOCOLATE CAN BE A PART OF A HEALTHY DIET

AUBURN, FEB. 5---Chocolate is one of America's favorite flavors. In fact, February is "Celebration of Chocolate Month."

Chocolate can be part of a healthy diet if you balance your food choices using the Food Guide Pyramid, says Dr. Barbara Struempler, a nutritionist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. It's an extra bonus to be able to reduce the fat in chocolate desserts and treats without sacrificing taste, she says.

Many prepared reduced-fat, chocolate desserts and treats are on the market today. Consumers can reduce the fat in their favorite homemade chocolate recipes by substituting traditional ingredients with lower-fat ingredients or by taking advantage of new reduced-calorie and reduced-fat products on the market.

Struempler offers some quick and easy tips for reducing the fat in homemade chocolate desserts.

  • Use unsweetened cocoa, with just one gram of fat a tablespoon, in place of baking chocolate.
  • Replace some of the oil or shortening in the recipe with fruit purees such as apple, prune or banana.
  • Use a reduced-fat spread in place of some of the stickmargarine or butter. You may need to adjust the recipe to compensate for additional water contained in the spread.
  • Use reduced-fat or non-fat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese or cottage cheese whenever possible.

    New products are making it easier to reduce the fat content of your favorite recipes, says Struempler. While people are interested in lowering the total fat in their diets, most are not willing to sacrifice taste. Fortunately, technology has helped manufacturers produce reduced-fat products that taste good.

    One such product is reduced-fat baking chips. These chips have 25 percent fewer calories than traditional semi-sweet chocolate chips. The reduced-fat baking chips contain salatrim, says Struempler. Salatrim is made from components commonly found in foods such as vegetable oil, vinegar, aged cheeses and other dairy products. Salatrim provides five calories a gram whereas traditional fats provide nine calories a gram.

    Consumers can get 50 percent reduced-fat recipes by calling Hershey Foods Corporation toll free at (800) 468-1714 weekdays between 8 a.m - 3 p.m. CST or by writing to Hershey Foods Corporation, P.O. Box 815, Department RFADA, Hershey, PA 17033- 0815.

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    SOURCE: DR. BARBARA STRUEMPLER, Extension nutritionist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System (334) 844-2217.