Healthier Hot Chocolate Recipes for Tweens

A Fun Winter Treat of Healthy Hot Cocoa Mit Schlag (Whipped Cream)

Dec 26, 2008 Kirsti A. Dyer

Hot cocoa is a fun treat for children and tweens to warm up with on a chilly day. Make it healthier with Hot Chocolate recipes that use healthier ingredients.

Children love hot chocolate especially mit schlag (the Austrian term for food served with whipped cream). Plus there is nothing better on a chilly winter's day than a steaming cup of cocoa to warm chilled hands.

From a nutrition perspective hot chocolate has protein, Vitamin D and calcium from the milk, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper and potassium from the cocoa. Depending on the milk used hot cocoa can contain saturated fat and cholesterol.

Chocolate could be another way of helping improve your tweens mood. Components in chocolate increase the release of endorphins, hormones released naturally by the brain that help increase feelings of pleasure and provide a sense of well being.

Healthier Hot Chocolate

Fixing a healthy version of hot cocoa requires picking healthier choices from the three main ingredients in hot chocolate. The main ingredients are milk, cocoa and sweetener.

For the milk the healthiest choices are low fat, skim, soy or rice milk. For the chocolate use chocolate that is 70% dark chocolate or cocoa powder and for the sweetener pick organic cane sugar, granulated sugar, agave syrup (agave nectar), molasses or Splenda (sugar substitute). Flavored agave syrup is another way to change the taste of the hot chocolate.

Adjusting Ingredients

Parents can adjust the ingredients used to make the hot chocolate to meet any of their their child's or tweens particular health needs or food preferences. Soy milk or rice milk can be used for those who are lactose intolerance or vegan.

Healthy Hot Chocolate Recipe

• 2 cups milk – low-fat, skim, soy, or rice milk
• 2 heaping tablespoons 70 % dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoon sweetener – Organic cane sugar, granulated sugar, agave syrup (agave nectar), molasses or sugar substitute

Directions:

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming (but not boiling).
2. Add cocoa powder and sweetener.
3. Whisk the cocoa powder and sweetener until well-blended.
4. Pour into favorite mugs or cups.
5. Enjoy.

Makes 2 servings.

Making Hot Chocolate Special

A cup of hot cocoa can be made even more fun by adding toppings or using a special stirrer or stirring stick like a cinnamon stick, peppermint stick or candy cane. Some fun toppings include chocolate powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, marshmallows and of course whipped cream.

The healthiest hot chocolate extras toppings include the low fat whipped cream (not substitutes), cocoa powder, cinnamon or nutmeg sprinkles. The healthiest stirrer is the cinnamon stick.

Realistically, the marshmallows and candy cane may not be the healthiest option or the lowest calorie option since they are made with sugar, but it without a doubt be the most fun. One benefit is that neither provide any additional fat or cholesterol and if they are used, the amount of sweetener used in the recipe could be decreased.

More Resources

NutritionData. Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Milk, chocolate beverage, hot cocoa, homemade.

Dyer K. 2008. Healthy Hot Chocolate. Food & Drink, Healthy Cooking, Suite 101.

Dyer K. 2008. Chocolate can be a Healthy Treat: The Heart and Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Powder. Nutrition. Food Facts, Suite 101.

The copyright of the article Healthier Hot Chocolate Recipes for Tweens in Parenting Tweens is owned by Kirsti A. Dyer. Permission to republish Healthier Hot Chocolate Recipes for Tweens in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Mug with Whipped Cream

Chocolate Shavings

Cinnamon