Hot chocolate has always been one of my favourite drinks. Due to my thyroid condition and salicylate sensitivities, coffee and tea are a bad idea for me, and I'm limited in my choice of herbal teas too (most are high in salicylates and a few interfere with thyroid function). Most hot chocolates, however, are loaded with sugar, and so far home-made cocoa alternatives have not appealed. I heard recently the Avalanche range had sugar-free hot chocolates, so I went hunting. 4 supermarkets later and I finally found this one in New World, Palmerston North.

It was so cold (3 degrees near midday) I went straight to a local coffee counter and asked them to make me a hot chocolate with it. Bliss - heat in my hands and a nice drink too!

Avalanche also have a Kid's sugar free hot chocolate, though I've heard it is less strong on the cocoa, so you tend to use more, but I haven't found in local stores.

The hot chocolate is sweetened with stevia and erythritol, both acceptable sweeteners. Stevia is a plant you can grow in your garden - the leaves are 100 times as sweet as sugar (by weight), Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that doesn't affect the blood sugars.

However, anything sweetened with alternative sweeteners should be used as an occasional treat, not consumed in frequent or large quantities. I'm limiting myself to one hot chocolate per day, maximum. Water is still the healthiest drink.