Now that we know that chocolate isn’t bad for you, why use carob, famous as a health-food-store chocolate substitute? Well, chocolate/cocoa is high in oxalates, and carob is low in oxalates. So if you need to cut back on oxalate sources, carob is a good idea. And it’s a change of pace for any of us.
Keto Hot Carob Drink
2 teaspoons carob powder (mine is Bob’s Red Mill brand)
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt (or other sea salt)
1 Tablespoon butter, MCT oil, or coconut oil
hot water to fill up 16 oz coffee mug
1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream (or rich, fresh nonpasteurized whole goat’s milk)
You mix this right in the mug! DON’T use a styrofoam cup if you are planning to use the MCT oil or coconut oil— it makes holes in the styrofoam.
Add the first 3 ingredients, and then fill up the mug with hot water, as if for making tea or coffee. Give the butter or coconut oil a minute to melt. When it is melted, add the cream or whole goat’s milk. If sensitive to dairy, just skip this ingredient.
Unlike a cocoa drink, this does NOT need a sweetener. (If you make it with cocoa or cacao powder in place of the carob, you will probably want to add 4 or so drops of liquid stevia sweetener.)
Nutritional facts about carob and cocoa
carob cocoa (1 Tablespoon)
calories 24 10
fat 0 0.5
carb 5.5 3
fiber 1 2
protein 0.5 0.5
As you can see, carob is a bit more carb-y. But unlike the cocoa, most people won’t need artificial sweeteners to consume the carob. Carob IS not just like real chocolate. It has its own unique flavor. I enjoy the taste. Not so much as I enjoy chocolate, but it’s good.
To learn more about oxalates and how to avoid them, visit Sally K. Norton's web page & blog:
Sally Norton's references say that carob is very high in oxalates. This is from the lowoxalate.info website.
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