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r Carob
Nutritional Profile
Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate
Protein: Moderate
Fat: Low
Saturated fat: Low
Cholesterol: None
Carbohydrates: High
Fiber: High
Sodium: Low
Major vitamin contribution: Niacin
Major mineral contribution: CalciumAbout the Nutrients in This Food
Carob flour, which is milled from the dried pod of a Mediterranean ever-
green tree, Ceratonia siliqua, looks like cocoa but has a starchy, beanlike
flavor. It can be mixed with sweeteners to make a cocoalike powder or
combined with fats and sweeteners to produce a candy that looks like and
has the same rich mouthfeel as milk chocolate but tastes more like honey.
Ounce for ounce, carob, which is also known as locust bean gum,
has more fiber and calcium but fewer calories than cocoa. Its carbohydrates
include the sugars sucrose, D-mannose, and D-galactose. (D-galactose is a
simple sugar that links up with other sugars to form the complex indigest-
ible sugars raffinose and stachyose.) Carob also contains gums and pectins,
the indigestible food fibers commonly found in seeds.The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food
As a substitute for cocoa or chocolate for people who are sensitive to
chocolate.Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food
Low-carbohydrate diet