Chocolate Bars
The chocolate bar is a ubiquitous feature in today’s supermarkets and convenience stores and has been the standard format for delivering chocolate goodness ever since its introduction in the late 19th century. Wrapped chocolate bars were first introduced by The Hershey Company in 1900, with Nestlé launching the first white chocolate bar in the 1930s.
Chocolate has an amazing capacity for being scrumptious with a huge range of ingredients. Mint chocolate bars, orange flavored chocolate, peanut butter chocolate bars, chocolate-covered strawberries, caramel chocolate bars, cherry-filled chocolate bonbons and chocolate almond bars are all enormous crowd pleasers. And with such huge variety of flavors, there is something for everyone.
Candy chocolate bars such as Snickers, Milky Way, Mars Bar, and Kit Kat combine layers of chocolate with various filling ingredients such as nougat, caramel, or wafers to create their signature tastes. The chocolate peanut bar is a particularly delicious combination.
In our fitness obsessed society, a chocolate protein bar, like the PowerBar brand bar, provides athletes with a concentrated source of nutrients, carbohydrates, and of course, protein. Low-fat chocolate milk has also been shown to provide equal or better muscle recovery than a carbohydrate-rich recovery beverage containing the same number of calories. Chocolate chip bars have become a staple of cereal bars, which are offered as a lower-calorie breakfast and snack option for people on the go.
Eating a dark chocolate bar has also be shown to have significant health benefits due to a substance contained in dark chocolate called epicatechin. The cocoa has a significant antioxidant action that protects the body against LDL oxidation to a greater degree than other antioxidant-rich foods. Dark chocolate has also been shown to reduce high blood pressure when eaten daily. Unfortunately, milk chocolate bars and white chocolate bars do not have this health benefit.
For those looking for a signature candy that can be used for treats, prizes, and even advertising, many chocolate companies provide personalized chocolate bars that can be molded to include just about any design, logo, or message. And for those concerned with the environment, organic chocolate bars made from natural ingredients grown under ecological farming conditions are also available.