Chocolate is one of the most commonly craved foods in the world.

And it’s likely because cocoa butter melts in your mouth, providing “a moment of ecstasy,” said Elizabeth Somer, a registered dietician and author of “Food and Mood.”
This craving is even more powerful among women, she said.

“While men may receive bottles of whiskey as gifts, women often receive chocolates, forming a link between chocolate and love,” Somer said.

Regardless of the reason you love it, a bar here and a piece there adds up to about 12 pounds of chocolate being consumed each year by the typical American.

And while chocolate can pack on the pounds, some solace should be taken in knowing that chocolate releases endorphins in the brain, providing pleasure.

While some think chocolate is just chocolate, that’s not really true. Many people have favorites and preferences.

With this in mind, I gathered a tasting panel and set out to find the tastiest, most decadent, most delicious, and most affordable chocolate.

The four brands tested were Hershey’s, Dove, Ghirardelli and Gorant milk chocolate bars. While the first three can be purchased at most stores, Gorant can be found at Carlton Cards locations in shopping malls throughout the country.

Because packaging and name brands can influence opinions, all the chocolate was provided on numbered paper plates. The panelists were asked to rank the chocolate from 1 to 10.

The tasting panel was composed of all females — two adults ages 39 and 48, and three girls, ages 8,10 and 13.

Which Tastes Best?
Gorant chocolate was a favorite among the other younger panelists, but older panelists were not impressed with the specialty cards brand.

“It’s plain — nothing fabulous. It’s just chocolate,” said Karen Barham, the 48-year-old panel member.

Meanwhile, Ghirardelli, the most expensive chocolate bar, rated best among the two adults.

“This one has more flavor, more ‘oomph,” said Lisa Manning, 39.

That added kick scored a 10 of 10 from Manning and Barham.

Most every vending machine contains a Hershey’s bar — with our without almonds — but Hershey did not fare well among the tasting panel, though it is my favorite.

Alexandria Manning, the teen panelist, who says she hasn’t eaten much chocolate in her life, also chose that classic brand, despite others’ preference for other brands.

“It is not as heavy,” she said.

Below is a summary of the ratings, based on a scale to 50, of each brand based on texture, taste and overall chocolate experience.

Ghirardelli:
This brand was rated highest among the adult panel members. They believed the flavor to be rich and the texture smooth. Both adults scored the chocolate bar at 10, along with one panelist scoring it at 8 and the other two members at 9.
Total Score: 47

Dove:
This brand rated the lowest among all panelists. One panelist, who does not enjoy coffee, thought it tasted like coffee. Another panelist thought it was a generic brand. Still, all panelists conveyed their displeasure with the bar. It rated 5 or below among all panelists.
Total Score: 22

Gorant:
This brand ranked best among two of the adolescent panelists, and it may be because Gorant contained the most sugar. Both the 10- and 8-year-olds scored Gorant at 10. When the brand of the chocolate bar was revealed, the two younger girls said they had never heard of it and wondered where they could purchase it.
Total Score: 40

Hershey’s:
This brand ranked at a 9 for only one panel. It ranked 7 for the other adolescents. Although this bar ranked third in the taste test, one panelist said she thought it “tasted like cooking chocolate.”
Total Score: 35

Conclusion

While Dove did not fare well among the panel members, it is the chocolate bar that contains the least amount of calories. It is also important to note that Dove had the lowest amount of saturated fat. Gorant had the highest amount of calories, and Ghirardelli was the only bar to contain a small amount of vitamin A and vitamin C.

Below are the nutrition facts of each chocolate bar.

Bar Calories Fat Sat. fat Cholesterol Sodium Sugars Protein Calcium Iron
Gorant 270 16g 10g 10mg 30mg 28g 4g 10% 2%
Ghirardelli 220 13g 8g 10mg 30mg 24g 3g 8% 4%
Dove 180 11g 6g 5mg 20mg 18 2g 4% 2%
Hershey 230 13g 9g 10mg 40mg 22g 3g 8% 2%
*Percentage of recommended daily allowance

When a chocolate craving hits, it’s unlikely that the nutritional content will be gauged in the decision. It’s typically a mindless decision reached when standing in the checkout counter of the grocery store or perusing an aisle of candies.

Sometimes, a decision may even be reached based on cost.

No matter how you pick your chocolate bar, keep in mind that chocolate is a treat. It truly comes down to treating yourself with a chocolate bar that tastes good to you.

Baseball great Satchel Paige once said, �How old would you be if you didn�t know how old you were?,� and economist Bernard Baruch said, �To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am.� Paige and Baruch clearly understood that while we have no choice but to age, it�s our attitude about it that determines how youthful we feel and act.
How old or young are you compared to others your age? Wouldn�t it be nice to grow comparatively younger than your peers?

So what are you doing to stay young? If you�ve given up hope, thinking that you�ve long since passed your prime and it�s all downhill from here, there�s a huge body of evidence that suggests you�re wrong. Regardless of age, physical capacity and mental acuity, research clearly shows that it�s never too late to improve. In fact, many of the complexities associated with aging such as heart attack, stroke, cancer, osteoporosis, memory loss, trips and falls, and simple loss of independence, can be minimized at virtually any age.

What can you do to get comparatively younger? Move your body. As we mature, even as early as 20, we get increasingly less playful, spending more time sitting and working, rather than walking, running, skipping, jumping and hopping like when we were kids. Centuries ago, you had to move to survive. Going to the market or ordering in for dinner wasn�t an option. If you wanted to eat, you either had to hunt it or harvest it, and that meant moving your body. Today, it�s possible to survive without ever even leaving your home. Have groceries and takeout meals delivered, conduct business from your home office and you can easily survive within the comfort of your four walls. But there�s a difference between surviving and thriving.

If you�re someone who wants to live with vitality � traveling, gardening, playing with children and grandchildren, competing in sports � then you need to move your body. Here�s how to start.

1. If you�ve not been regularly exercising, you need to get your doctor�s approval to begin. Chances are, your doctor will be delighted that you�re taking this all-important step to healthy aging. Next, you�ll need the help of a qualified professional. Whether you choose to join a gym, go to yoga classes, or hire a personal trainer, getting some guidance on how to exercise safely, effectively and efficiently is key. While it�s possible to get advice from a book or video, I feel it�s critically important to work under the trained eyes of a professional, at least in the beginning, to decrease likelihood of injury. If you have specific medical conditions, look for professionals who have experience working with those conditions.

2. If you�re already active, look for new and different ways to challenge yourself. If you don�t lift weights, start. If you only do one form of aerobic activity, find at least one more. If you always exercise at a low to moderate intensity, check with your doctor about ramping it up. The bottom line is: no challenge, no change.

3. Lastly, assemble a team for support. Whether it�s a friend or spouse, group of peers or a group of qualified professionals, working with others often yields greater results than going it alone. If your goal is to make some serious lifestyle changes, you would benefit greatly from working with a team of professionals. Having access to a personal trainer as well as a dietician, physical therapist, motivational coach and maybe even a massage therapist, will likely give you all the support necessary to make lasting changes.

4. Know that it�s a process. Getting and staying active is a life-long process through which we wax and wane in our ability to stay with it. Injuries may occur, motivation may suffer, work and family may get in the way. These are all part of the process, but are not reasons to stop trying. Acknowledge when you might need help and get it. Your vitality is worth too much to not sometimes put yourself first.

Growing comparatively younger is actually not all that difficult. Yes, it takes some commitment to living healthfully, but the gains far outweigh the costs. As Maurice Chevalier once said, �Old age isn�t so bad when you consider the alternative.�

Dan Bornstein is the co-founder and executive director of the ProActive Performance Institute. He is also the official fitness expert for www.healthyag ing.com, KOLD News 13 and the Tucson Citizen. E-mail him at dbornstein@p-2-i.com.