Keto lunch box food, chocolate

(charlie3) #1

My work lunch is is the same thing every day, nuts, HB eggs, jerky, cheese and a large mug of iced coffee with 1/4 cup whipping cream and 1 tsp stevia. I wanted to substitue an ounce of cheese with an ounce of low carb chocolate. This week I’m trying it out with a product called Simply Lite. My problem with this is cost, $1 an ounce. I’ve already eliminated macadamia nuts because of cost. Does ready to eat low carb chocolate really have to cost so much?

Can I make bars in the kitchen that don’t turn to gooey mush at room temperature?

(Mike W.) #2

Trader Joe’s. $2.50/bar

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(charlie3) #3

Thanks, my local traders only had the simply lite. So that gets the price from a dollar to 71 cents. It appears there is no artificial sweetner in the traders brand so wouldn’t that be like chewing on tree bark? I wonder what is added to chocolate to make keep it hard at room temp but still chewable. Can I just melt down some coco powder add stevia and let it harden?

We know there is an petrolium cartel. There must be one for chocolate too.

(Mike W.) #4

It’s fantastic chocolate. It’s not sweet, but it’s also not flavorless like I find 100% “bakers chocolate” to be.

(charlie3) #5

Okay, thanks, next time I walk past trader’s I’ll see if it’s available.

(Candy Lind) #6

If you just want something different, or need a chocolate fix, why not toss some cocoa into your coffee (with a bit extra sweetener, or not)? I have mocha every morning. I’m going to try Montezuma if I ever get by Trader Joe’s again, but I found this “Eating Evolved” bar at Sprouts, right next to the Lily’s Dark Chocolate (my fave,) and it’s possibly available at places like TJ, Natural Grocers, Whole Foods, etc. (NOTE: this is the only thing this brand sells that is keto friendly. Coconut sugar or other stuff in everything else).

Also, maybe 1-to-1 substitution is not realistic. Can you do with a smaller serving? Lily’s bars go on sale occasionally at Sprouts for $3-3.50. I find that 1/4 of one of these bars is more than enough for me (and I used to be a big-time chocoholic). The Midnight Coconut was more, but I bought it out of curiosity more than anything. That’s .75-.80 for a nice piece of chocoate, not too terrible.

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There is a really good avocado chocolate pudding recipe around that you could fix up and take with you, as well - made with cocoa, rich and flavorful, plus you get all the nutrition of the avocado.

Convenience foods, especially in a niche market, are always going to be pricey. I hope something you get in this thread will help you out without breaking the bank.

(roxanna) #7

Yes you can make your own that doesn’t turn to a “gooey mush” but you need to temper the chocolate. Don’t ask me how because I’ve never done it, but I’m sure there’s instructions online.

#8

@CandyLindTX is this midnight coconut brand bitter? I purchased a bar of chocolate at Sprouts (can’t remember the name now) and it was grossly bitter…activating the danger signal on my tongue and in my brain. Pretty sure this was the only time I’ve actually tossed out chocolate. I do love me dark dark chocolate :smile:

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #9

Mix some unsweetened chocolate with about an equal quantity of heavy cream, and add a bit of artificial sweetener, if unsweetened is too bitter for you. Microwave 30-60 seconds, possibly a bit longer, and stir. It will firm up some as it cools, but will remain more malleable than the undadorned chocolate.

(Candy Lind) #10

Haven’t tried it yet! I expect it to be quite bitter since it’s unsweetened. I’ll probably put Kerrygold butter on it to make it palatable (some folks love 100%, I still have a sweet tooth).:crazy_face:

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #11

I always find it interesting, in these discussions of chocolate, how people are really reluctant to give up that last bit of sugar in their chocolate, even when they could sweeten sugar-free chocolate with a different sweetener and enjoy it just as much. How powerful sugar is over us! I remember feeling the same way about giving up that last bit of alcohol, back in the day.

(charlie3) #12

I found the sugar free chocolate bars at Trader’s and added an ounce per day in place of an ounce of cheese for a week of lunches. It’s not worth the bother or extra expense. I’d rather have the cheese. As a matter of fact I’m using Tillamook medium chedder and ready to try something better.

(Retta Stephenson) #13

@charlie3
Just this week tried Tillamook Extra Sharp White Cheddar, since it was on sale. Wowzer. XLNT!

(Diane) #14

Carrie Brown has a recipe for keto Chocolate Orange Truffles. She is a trained chef and worked as a chocolatier in France for several years. She says low carb chocolate is particularly difficult because of the chemistry involved in the alternative ingredients (alternative to milk and sugar). I’ve been slowly working my way through her recipes (all successes so far), but haven’t tried these yet. Just bought a mold off Amazon. She recommends using the 100% Ghiradelli’s chocolate bars which are widely available. You can substitute other flavors of extracts in place of the orange (cherry, raspberry, etc. Or just add more vanilla).

(Sharon) #15

I eat a piece of Lindt 90% daily.

(charlie3) #16

My first easy to make desert was sugar free jello with whipping cream, sugar free chocolate syrup and and a few blue berries. Lately I’ve found something I like better, a large mug of iced coffee with 1/4 cup of heavy cream and Stevia. I sip on that after lunch at work instead of drinking coffee in the morning. May be I’ll try adding some flavor to that. Probably there are some tried-and-true recipes floating around. I grind fancy coffee and chill over night and don’t want to spoil that taste.