Nutritional Comparison: Instant Hot Chocolate Mix vs. Homemade Hot Chocolate (Recipe included)

When it comes to winter favorites, nothing beats curling up under a blanket and enjoying a cup of steamy, rich, and smooth hot chocolate. Are you one who would make this delicious drink from scratch, or are you resort to pouring hot water with instant chocolate drink mix ? Find out the nutritional differences between the two.

	Nestle Instant Rich Milk Chocolate Mix	Homemade Hot Chocolate
Serving Size (1 cup):	1 pack + 1 cup of hot water	1 Tbsp Cocoa + 2 tsp sugar + 1 cup 1% milk
Calories:	100 kcal	144 kcal
Protein:	1 g	9.2 g
Fat:	2.5 g	3.1 g
Saturated Fat:	2.5 g	2 g
Carbohydrate:	19 g	23.1 g
Fiber:	<1 g	1.6 g
Net Carb:	18 g	21.5 g
Sodium:	240 mg	108 mg
Calcium:	30 mg (2% DV)	296 mg (23% DV)
Ingredients:	SUGAR, DAIRY PRODUCT SOLIDS (MILK), CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT AND/OR PALM KERNEL AND/OR SOYBEAN), COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, AND LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM CASEINATE, SODIUM ALUMINOSILICATE, GUAR GUM, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SUCRALOSE, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.	1 % milk, cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of sugar

Dietitian’s Analysis: 3 Nutritional Highlights

1. Homemade Hot Chocolate Offers High Calcium and Protein

As it’s made with real milk and not water, the homemade version offers same nutritional values from regular cow’s milk, providing higher protein (9 g vs 1 g) and calcium (296 mg vs 30 mg) content compared to the instant mix.

2. Homemade Hot Chocolate is Creamier without Chemical Additives

The hot chocolate made from the instant mix turns out to be a watery, dark colored liquid that is infused with a long list of additives. The editorial team agrees that the flavor is weaker in cocoa taste and that it is overly sweet. In contrast, by using three simple ingredients – milk, cocoa powder, and sugar – we created a rich, chocolaty, creamy drink.

3. There’s a Reason Why Homemade Hot Chocolate Has Higher Carb Content

You may notice that the net carb content of homemade hot chocolate is higher than using instant cocoa mix. The reason is that cow’s milk contains naturally-occurring lactose (a type of carb); 1 cup of milk provides 12 g of carbohydrates. Therefore the net carb content is higher in the homemade version.

3-Ingredient Homemade Hot Chocolate

Gloria Tsang, RD

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Prep Time 3 minutes mins

Course Beverage

Servings 1

Calories 144 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup 1% milk
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp raw sugar (use less if you prefer less sweetness)

Instructions

 

• Place the ¾ cup milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is nice and hot.
• Meanwhile, in your mug or cup, make a paste with the cocoa powder, sugar, and the remaining milk.
• Pour the hot milk into the cocoa paste and stir until combined and smooth.

Notes

You can place the hot cocoa in your blender (or use an immersion blender) to make it nice and foamy.

Nutritional information calculated based on data from the following: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central: Foundation Foods. Version Current: April 2024. Internet: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/.