Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

I recall people searching for a vegan hot cocoa mix on this or another of the forums I visit. At the time there were no options available.

Recently my local health food store started carrying a product called Ah!Laska Diary Free Hot Cocoa Mix. It's vegan, gluten- and wheat-free. Looks to be soy-free, too, though it doesn't specifically state so.

And it tastes really good!

It's low in fat (if I'm doing my math right, it looks like it's about 5% fat, not including fat in the milk substitute you add). The directions say to mix it with your favorite milk substitute, but that was actually too rich tasting for me. I just add hot water and a splash of almond milk.

Of course it's processed food, not something to make a habit of eating. But it sure is nice to be able to enjoy a cup by the fireplace once in a while on a cold winter's night.

So, thought I'd share the info in case anyone's still looking.

Nutritional Info:
http://www.ahlaska.com/Products/productdetail.aspx?s=760519100287:Organic+Non-Dairy+Chocolate+Mix+-+12+++++++++OZ.

Here are the

Ingredients

Organic Evaporated Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa (Non-Alkaline), Organic Rice Syrup Solids, Organic Vanilla Powder, And Less Than 1% Carrageenan (An All-Natural Seaweed Extract Emulsifer) And Xanthan Gum (A Natural Thickener).

That is a boatload of processed simple sugars. Perhaps occasionally for somebody who didn't need to lose weight or didn't have diabetes? I don't know. Perhaps Jeff would reply. I can't imagine that this would be recommended as a regular inclusion to your meals.

This brings up a problem that I see a lot, and a mistake that I have made in the past. Just because a food doesn't contain meat or dairy or oil, it can't necessarily be made part of your diet.

FWIW here's how I make vegan reduced-fat hot cocoa:

Heat up one cup of vanilla almond milk or soy milk on the stove (recommended) or in the microwave.

Add 1 tablespoon Wonderslim cocoa powder (99+% fat- and caffeine-free) and 4 teaspoons sugar. (Wonderslim says to use 2 tsp but I find that's not enough for my sweet tooth; YMMV.)

Whisk and enjoy.

funcrunch wrote:FWIW here's how I make vegan reduced-fat hot cocoa:

Heat up one cup of vanilla almond milk or soy milk on the stove (recommended) or in the microwave.

Add 1 tablespoon Wonderslim cocoa powder (99+% fat- and caffeine-free) and 4 teaspoons sugar. (Wonderslim says to use 2 tsp but I find that's not enough for my sweet tooth; YMMV.)

Whisk and enjoy.

This is what I do but I use carob powder instead.

A tip for those who make their own hot chocolate with cocoa ... mix the cocoa with the sugar and then mix into a paste with a bit of cold non-dairy milk before adding the hot milk. This keeps the cocoa from lumping.