Author of Sugar Free ME: Gluten, sugar, yeast and dairy-free eating, Alison Beadle shows us what to look out for when considering tucking into that perfect free-from favourite…
Chocolate, whilst easily available for those with no allergies or intolerances, is one of the trickiest things to find if you are looking for gluten-, dairy-, sugar- or nut-free. Being intolerant to sugar, dairy and gluten myself, chocolate is one of the things I miss the most. I don’t want it constantly, but it is nice to have once in a while.
Having been sugar-, gluten- and dairy-free since 2012 and, being a former sugar ‘addict’, I have done my fair share of research, some successful and some not so.
Here are a few tips on shopping for ‘free-from’ chocolates, and also a few of my favourites to help you in your quest to indulge in a sweet treat, or just to buy some for somebody so they don’t feel left out when every one else eating theirs!
Sugar-free chocolate
Check how it’s sweetened. Some sugar-free chocolates are sweetened with coconut palm sugar, Palma jaggery, dates or agave, which all contain fructose – which is still sugar, just not traditional refined sugar. While the average person can tolerate these, there are some diabetes sufferers who may get an insulin spike from fructose sweetened chocolates. These also aren’t great for candida sufferers as the candida will feed off the sugars. In both cases it also depends on the quantity eaten and the individual’s condition as to the effect it will have.
If sweetened with maltitol, an alcohol sugar, which is a common favourite in diabetic friendly chocolates, moderate to excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Xylitol and erythritol are also alcohol sugars, but aren’t quite so harsh on the digestive system. It depends on the individual. Personally I’m fine with xylitol, but my body hates maltitol.
You can also get chocolate sweetened with stevia. It is low in calories, is produced from a leaf and is easy on your digestive system too. For me it has a slight aftertaste, but many people don’t notice this at all.
Dairy-free chocolate
There is a lot more of this about now and you can generally find it in most large supermarkets as well as health food shops. The obvious choice is dark chocolate, but that can be too strong a flavour for some. I’ve had chocolate made with almond milk, but many use soya lecithin. Most people are fine with this, but those who are allergic to legumes may be sensitive. Obviously if you have a soy allergy it’s not going to be suitable for you. I’ve also used coconut milk powder when making my own chocolate at home.
Gluten-free chocolate
Generally chocolate shouldn’t have gluten in it and may not be labelled as containing gluten, but it could be manufactured in a site where there is a risk of cross-contamination so don’t assume it is gluten-free. If you are coeliac then go for products which actually state ‘gluten-free’ and are approved for coeliac consumption. The Coeliac Society has a website which provides a list of gluten-free chocolates.
Nut-free chocolate
Again, unless you are going for a nut-based chocolate, it generally doesn’t contain nuts, but once again there is the risk of cross-contamination so, to be sure, always go for something that states ‘nut-free’ on the packaging.
The final option is you learn to make your own. I went on a chocolate making workshop at Melange, in Peckham, and now use those skills to make my own. I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and Isabelle, who runs the shop, is a great source of knowledge and expertise. There are also raw chocolate workshops run by the creator of Perfect Chocolate, sold at Snowfields Wellness, London Bridge.
Below are a selection of chocolates I’ve tried and tested. There are many more in the market, but I’d rather recommend ones I’ve tried. The range covers gluten-, dairy-, sugar-free (including fructose-free) and fructose sweetened. My favourite to eat is Perfect; favourite to cook with, Willies. Manufacturers often change recipes so always double check the ingredients before eating.
|
Brand |
Range |
Where can I |
Free-from options |
Sugar-free option |
Website |
|
Planmil |
Plain, milk, coffee, mint |
Holland & Barrett and most health food shops |
Gluten, dairy, sugar |
Sweetened with xylitol |
|
|
Melange |
Great range of flavours available |
Melange, |
Dairy, nut, |
Sweetened with stevia |
|
|
Perfect |
Sour cherry, mint, vanilla, |
Snowfields Wellness |
Gluten, dairy, sugar |
Sweetened with xylitol |
|
|
Cocoa Libre |
Dark, raspberry, mint, milk |
Holland & Barrett, website |
Gluten, dairy, wheat, buts |
No sweetener |
|
|
Thorntons |
Speciality boxes |
Thorntons |
Gluten, sugar |
Sweetened with maltitol |
|
|
Hotel Chocolate |
Various 100% flavours |
Hotel Chocolate |
Dairy, gluten, sugar |
No sweetener |
|
|
Willies |
Various 100% flavours |
Waitrose, Ocado |
Dairy, gluten, sugar |
No sweetener |
|
|
Cavalier |
Various flavours |
Website |
Sugar |
Sweetened with stevia |
sweetswithout.co.uk/collections/cavalier-stevia-chocolate/products/cavalier-dark-chocolate |
|
Perlege |
Various flavours |
Health food |
Sugar |
Sweetened with stevia & malitol |
sweetswithout.co.uk/collections/perlege-stevia-chocolate/products/perlege-stevia-dark-chocolate |
|
Ombar |
Various flavours |
Store locator on website |
Refined sugar, dairy |
Sweetened with coconut palm sugar |
For more information, visit www.livewellbhappy.co.uk