It’s Valentine’s Day. If you live up north, it’s fu–reeezing. Steam yourself up a cup of love with some soul-warming, guilt-free dark chocolate. What is this magic chocolate drink, you ask? A little brown tin of European sipping chocolate from your nearest Trader Joe’s.
So many hidden gems reside in the aisles of Trader Joe’s (and Aldi’s), and I believe Trader Joe’s Sipping Chocolate is one of them. It’s a health-conscious chocolate fix in a mug. Described on the label as “not quite a hot cocoa and hardly chocolate milk,” this is not your kids’ sickly sweet Swiss Miss–No no no. It’s a rich, deep, dark chocolate elixir that quells your cravings. If you love dark chocolate like I do, this drink will hit all the right spots. And the bliss lasts for way longer than the few seconds it takes to nibble on a singular truffle.
I woke up to 5 degree weather today. I love to marvel at the gorgeous snow (from the comfort of my blanket) on days like this. As much as I adore tea to break the chill in the air, occasionally I need something a little more decadent. Especially on V-Day.
According to the instructions, to prepare a 1/2 cup of Sipping Chocolate, stir 3 tablespoons of mix into 1/3 cup of hot milk. Personally, 3 tablespoons is too rich for me. I prefer 2 tablespoons at the very most, and to be honest, some is always left sitting on the bottom of the mug. I might use a bit more than 1/3 cup of milk as well–1% is my favorite. Non-dairy milk works fine too. The drink fills a small mug.
So, the chocolate itself is 60 calories at the most (2 Tbsp), plus around 70 calories for a good portion of milk. 130 calories isn’t bad for a long-lasting treat that holds some nutritional value (and only 4 ingredients–no preservatives) while also filling me up the way a snack does. Impressive as far as splurges go.
So if you’re looking for a different chocolate fix this year, this is a good option. It allows you to pamper yourself on V-Day–without breaking the sugar, fat and calorie bank.
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