Is Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup Healthy? Here’s The Truth

If you’re a chocolate lover, you’ve probably tried Hershey’s chocolate syrup at least once.

Hershey’s chocolate syrup is a sweet condiment used to create cake, cookies, and brownies, drizzle over ice cream, or make hot chocolate milk.

And while it does make food taste delicious, is Hershey’s chocolate syrup healthy for you?

Short answer: Hershey’s chocolate syrup is not healthy as it is exceptionally high in sugar, has meager nutritional value and uses artificial ingredient.

Let’s get into the detail about Hershey’s chocolate syrup.

The Nutrition Facts of Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup

A 100ml of Hershey’s chocolate syrup contains:

• Calories: 276.5
• Carbs: 66.6g
• Sugar: 63.6g
• Fat:0.56g
• Protein: 1.27g

What is Hershey’s chocolate syrup made of?

The ingredients that are used in making Hershey’s chocolate syrup includes:

• Sugar
• Water
• Inverted sugar (sugar variant)
• Liquid Glucose (sugar variant)
• Cocoa solids
• Malt extract
• Thickening agent (415)
• Preservatives (202)
• and Salt

4 Reasons Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup Is Not Healthy

1. High sugar content

Hershey’s chocolate syrup contains high sugar levels in different forms, such as table sugar, inverted sugar, and liquid glucose.

According to the nutrition information provided on Hershey’s chocolate syrup, a 30ml serving (2 tablespoons) of the syrup contains 19g of sugar, which is about 60% of the daily limit for adults and 80% for children.

It is also worth noting that this serving size is quite small, and most people easily consume more syrup than this.

If you are trying to lose weight or are concerned about your sugar intake, it is essential to use Hershey’s chocolate syrup sparingly or entirely avoid it.

Moreover, many parents use this chocolate syrup to flavor their child’s milk. While it does make the milk taste good, it also adds a lot of sugar.

Too much sugar can be harmful to children. In the long run, eating too much sugar can increase the risk of weight gain, obesity, diabetes, cavities, and heart diseases.

2. Low in cocoa

While cocoa is listed as an ingredient, it is not the main ingredient nor the primary source of flavor in syrup.

Cocoa is a plant compound mainly found in chocolate-based foods and provides many health benefits.

However, Hershey’s syrup contains just 5% cocoa, which is very low compared to other brands of chocolate syrup.

If you are looking to incorporate more cocoa into your diet, you may want to consider eating dark chocolate or, better using cocoa powder in your cooking and baking.

3. Low nutrition value

Two primary factors decide whether a food is worth eating, i.e., taste and nutrition.

And while Hershey’s chocolate syrup is delicious, it has zero nutritional value. It is also low in cocoa content.

So from a health standpoint, there’s really no reason to include it in your diet. The only use for the syrup is to provide a sweet, chocolaty flavor.

4. Use of Preservative

Preservatives are food additives that are used to preserve food for long periods.

However, these preservatives also pose a health risk, especially when chemically prepared.

For instance, Hershey’s uses Potassium Sorbate (E202) as a preservative which has been linked to allergic reactions, DNA damage, eye irritation, Nausea, and Diarrhea.

However, these effects are usually only seen when the preservative is consumed in large quantities, which is quite doable with chocolate syrups.

Who should completely avoid Hershey’s chocolate syrup?

There are certain individuals who should avoid Hershey’s chocolate syrup, either due to allergies or sensitivities to certain ingredients or because of dietary restrictions.

1. People with allergies or sensitivities to cocoa or other ingredients found in Hershey’s chocolate syrup.
2. People following a weight loss diet or trying to limit their sugar intake for health reasons.
3. People with high blood sugar levels or diabetics should avoid it.
4. Pregnant or lactating women should consult with their doctors before consuming it.

Are there any healthier alternatives to Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup?

There are several healthier alternatives to Hershey’s chocolate syrup that you can use in your recipes. These includes:

Homemade chocolate syrup: You can make your own chocolate syrup at home using cocoa powder, sugar, and milk. This allows you to control the ingredients and the sweetness level. In addition, to make it healthier, you can go for natural sweeteners instead of regular sugar.

Unsweetened cocoa powder: You can use unsweetened cocoa powder to make a healthy chocolate syrup. Simply mix cocoa powder with a small amount of water or milk and sweeten it to taste with a natural sweetener.

Other brands of chocolate syrup: You can go with other chocolate syrup that uses honey or jaggery to sweeten the syrup and are made with natural flavors.

Final words

Hershey’s chocolate syrup is good at making your recipes flavorful. However, consuming it excessively can be bad for your health, mainly due to its high sugar content.

Use it occasionally as a treat, but not as a regular ingredient. Or opt for healthier alternatives that will provide the same chocolaty flavor to your food.

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