This Valentine have your Chocolate and Eat it Too

The Aztecs had it right!

Cocoa beans are full of plant chemicals called flavanols. Flavanols are antioxidants that may reduce blood platelet stickiness and help prevent blood clots. According to the American Dietetic Association, Cocoa and dark chocolate may actually have up to 10x more antioxidant power than other antioxidant rich foods! Cocoa and Dark chocolate can be a good source of calcium, potassium and magnesium. Chocolate even contains vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E. The vitamins and minerals found in chocolate products can vary depending on the way the chocolate was processed.


While chocolate has benefits, just like other beneficial high fat foods such as nuts, its high calorie content means you’re best off enjoying it in moderation, if a trim figure is something you desire. Chocolate contains saturated fats, trans fats and sugar which are damamging to your health if eaten in excess, so keep your serving of chocolate as suggested below.

You only need a small square (about 1 oz) to get the benefits! Read more about the benefits of natural cocoa and dark chocolate here:
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/4/725.abstract

Chocolate facts good to know
Cocoa powder has double the nutrients as regular chocolate.
The purer the chocolate, the more benefits you receive.
Of the regular chocolates, dark has the most health benefits. But when chocolate or cocoa is diluted with milk, water, sugar or other processing methods, its nutrient content is diluted too. Therefore, 70% cocoa has more benefits than 50%.



Chocolate calorie counting

4 Hershey’s Kisses (100 calories)
2 Dove Promises (90 calories)
11 M&Ms (100 calories)
1 cup diet hot cocoa and 1 chocolate graham cracker (80 calories)
1 JELL-O fat-free chocolate pudding snack (100 calories)
1 Quaker Chocolate Crunch popcorn cake (60 calories)
1 cup strawberries drizzled with 1 tablespoon fat-free hot fudge (100 calories)
1/2 cup fat-free chocolate frozen yogurt (100 calories)
20 chocolate-covered raisins (80 calories)
1/2 cup General Mills Cocoa Puffs cereal (60 calories)
2 Snackwell’s Devil’s Food Cookie Cakes (100 calories)
2 bite-size York Peppermint Patties (100 calories)


1. Dark chocolate. A hunk of deep, dark chocolate smells lusciously chocolatey, and the first bite is very satisfying. Since it's so rich and the flavor so strong, you can be satisfied with very little. At 110-120 calories per ounce, that's more satisfaction for less than half the calories of a full-size milk chocolate bar with peanuts!

2. Frozen yogurt. Try a half-cup frozen chocolate yogurt (100 calories) topped with a half-cup sliced fresh strawberries (approximately 20 calories).

3. Chocolate popsicles. You can find a variety of low-calorie chocolate popsicles or frozen chocolate pudding pops in your supermarket's freezer. Starbucks now offers a Frappucchino Mocha frozen pop that weighs in at only 120 calories!

4. Chocolate puddings. Look for the fat-free varieties and indulge. Many low-cal varieties are just about 120 calories per serving.

5. Hot chocolate. On chilly nights, cuddle up with a steaming cup of hot cocoa: Heat 6 ounces skim milk (70 calories), 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa (10 calories), 1/2 Tbsp. sugar (24 calories) in a pan. Add a dash of cinnamon and/or vanilla extract. Heat while stirring constantly, and you'll warm yourself up with just approximately 100 calories!


6. Old-fashioned chocolate "ice cream" floats. For hot summer nights, make a frosty chocolate float: Place ½ cup nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt in a glass, and add your choice of diet soda to fill the glass. Each serving has approximately 110 calories, depending on the frozen yogurt used. This serves up a cool, refreshing drink that satisfies your chocolate craving and beats the heat.

7. Pure chocolate. Don't waste the calories on the cookie dough surrounding the chocolate chips ! Have a few squares of pure chocolate instead! One miniature chocolate bar (about 7 grams) is only about 36 calories.

8. Chocolate chips. Sprinkle semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips on your yogurt for a sweet after-dinner snack. One tablespoon of semi-sweet chips is 52 calories. Milk chocolate chips have 54 calories per tablespoon.

9. Chocolate jimmies. Sprinkle chocolate jimmies on your banana, or over vanilla yogurt for a chocolaty breakfast treat. At only 20 calories per teaspoon, it's a guilt-free way to indulge your chocolate craving.

10. Chocolate syrup. Make a chocolate sundae with fresh fruit instead of ice cream. Regular chocolate syrup has about 50 calories per tablespoon. Light chocolate syrup has only 25 calories per tablespoon.

11. For Women Only: Chewy calcium supplements like Viactiv come in delicious “milk chocolate” and “mochaccino” flavors. Each piece supplies 500 milligrams of calcium and has just 50 calories!


Whether you are eating chocolate for health benefits or to indulge yourself the fact is you will surely have a delicious experience. If you are calorie and health consciuos, just chose and eat the chocolate product that you enjoy the most, eat one piece, and savor each bite at a time. Bon a petit et bonne sante!

Disclaimer

The content of Wikinutrition.net is for informational purposes only. ANy information listed on this site is not intended to diagnose, prevent , treat or cure any disease. This blog contains thoughs, opinions and links to other sources of information. Before making any major chances to your diet or exercise routine, you should consult your physician.