A chocolate egg cream is similar to a chocolate milkshake, but there's one main difference -- egg creams contain soda water, which gives this drink a special zing. Although this beverage is high in sugar, it contains macronutrients, vitamins and minerals that contribute to your health. Understanding the nutritional value allows you to make smart decisions about your diet.
Calories and Fat
A 10 oz. serving of chocolate egg cream contains 210 calories. As a rule, including too many high-calorie beverages in your meal plan is not recommended -- it uses up calories that you could otherwise allocate to more nutritionally dense foods. However, when imbibed as an occasional treat, the extra calories should not contribute greatly to weight gain. There are 3 g of fat in a serving of chocolate egg cream, 2 grams of which are saturated. Excess saturated fat in your meal plan contributes to your risk of Type-2 diabetes.
Sugar
Chocolate egg cream contains sugar -- 32 grams per serving. The ideal limit of added sugars ranges from 25 to 37 grams per day, but if you consume more than this regularly you may gain weight. A study published in the June 2011 issue of "The British Journal of Nutrition" indicates that excess sugar consumption may correlate to decreased cognitive function. As this study was carried out on middle-aged and older Puerto Ricans, more research is needed to confirm findings for other ethnic groups and age ranges.
Carbohydrates and Protein
One serving of chocolate egg cream contains 37 g of carbohydrates and 10 g of protein. Endeavor to include at least 130 g of carbs and 46 to 56 g of protein in your diet daily -- these macronutrients break down in your body for use as energy. Carbs also influence how your brain works, and protein is important for growth and development.
Vitamins and Minerals
Drink a portion of chocolate egg cream, and you take in 30 percent of the daily recommended intake of calcium if you follow a 2,000 calorie diet. Your bones and teeth need calcium to stay strong, so drinking the occasional chocolate egg cream may benefit your skeletal health. You also get 10 percent of the vitamin A and 4 percent of the vitamin C you require each day.
References
- MyFitnessPal: Generic - Egg Cream - Chocolate
- MayoClinic.com; Dietary Fat: Know Which Types to Choose; February 2011
- Cleveland Clinic; Eating Too Much Sugar? It's Time to Tame Your Sweet Tooth; M. Ohlson, MS, RD, LD; December 2009
- "British Journal of Nutrition"; Habitual Sugar Intake and Cognitive Function Among Middle-Aged and Older Puerto Ricans Without Diabetes; X. Ye, et al.; June 2011
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients
- McKinley Health Center; Macronutrients: the Importance of Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat; March 2008



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