25.03.2008
The symbol of Easter: the chocolate egg
Colouring Easter eggs is a tradition widely practiced in Europe (Copyright: delater/www.pixelio.de)
The German confectionery industry manufactured over one million tonnes of chocolate in the year 2007. Easter is one of the high points of the year, as colouring eggs and enjoying chocolate eggs is a popular tradition throughout Europe. Christians were not allowed to eat eggs during Lent – they therefore hard-boiled them to preserve them and consumed eggs in prodigious quantities at Easter.
Nutrition experts at the University of Hohenheim have given the green light to anyone wishing to enjoy chocolate Easter eggs. Chocolate, a luxury food that contains no harmful substances, may be safely consumed in moderation.
The only drawback of chocolate is the high energy density resulting from its significant fat content (around 30%) and the large quantity of sugar (around 50%) it contains. A bar of chocolate contains around 500 to 600 kilocalories, and a healthy adult burns around 2,000 to 3,000 kilocalories per day.
On the positive side, chocolate contains mood-enhancing substances and dietary fibre (between three and ten grams per bar), the quantities of which increase with the share of cocoa. Dark chocolate is therefore healthier than white.
The experts in Hohenheim emphasise that anyone interested in a truly healthy snack should reach for an apple. They do admit, however, that people whose weight is in the normal range can certainly handle one or two bars of chocolate a week. So for guilt-free enjoyment, apportion your Easter eggs with care.
More:
http://www.uni-hohenheim.de/
