Loving Chocolate? 10 Smart Nixes and Healthy Fixes

Loving Chocolate? 10 Smart Nixes and Healthy Fixes

Candy is obviously not the go-to food when you’re trying to lose weight. It’s kind of like shopping for Manolos on a Payless budget. But we adore our shoes and our sweets. And if metallic is the new black, then cocoa is the color of confection. In our recent snacking poll, 23 percent of you admit to a weakness for candy, but of those, 21 percent say it’s all about chocolate.

True, we’re always reading stories about how chocolate is a health food; its flavonoids seem to reduce blood pressure, and a good portion of its fats don’t clog the circulatory system. But that’s when you nibble on it—and minus the chewy, gooey, truffley, nuggets that make us eat it in large, caloric amounts.

1. Raising the Bar. Read the labels!

2. Fattest Bites: The Lindt Classics chocolate sampler averages 230 calories and 10 grams of saturated fat for three pieces. Most assorted chocolates have similar numbers. For fewer calories and zero fat, you can have 10 times as many candy corns. Or suck on a chocolate Tootsie Pop—no fat and only 60 calories—and it will occupy your taste buds much longer than these three sampler nibbles.

3. Sugar-free Calorie Bombs. Don’t be fooled by the “free.”  For example there is a sugar-free chocolate bar that contains 300 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat. Bottom line is you’re better off with your Snickers!

4. Worst Health Fakers: Just because a bar sits in the healthy display stand, doesn’t mean it’s any better than the candy on the other side of the racks. Although Kashi makes some great products, their GoLean Chewy Chocolate Almond Toffee bar is 290 calories, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and 7 teaspoons of sugar. The Cookies N’ Cream flavor is about the same. Did we hear “lean”? How is that healthy?

5. Just Beans: How much could chocolate-covered coffee beans set you back—they’re mostly java, right? The answer is, about 200 calories and 7 grams of fat for a handful.

6. Total Insanity: If you ever wondered how to fit almost 1000 calories in the palm of your hand, just pick up a deep fried Mars Bar. Some versions come in for less, but there are so many better ways to spend your calories.

4 Healthy Chocolate Fixes

Next time you have a craving, try these low-cal, nutrient rich alternatives.

Chewy Chocolate Nuggets: Take 4 dates and roll them in unsweetened cocoa powder. You get a load of antioxidents and 3 grams of fiber for only 100 calories.

Cake Batter Candy: Mix 3 tablespoons of chocolate cake mix and 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of water, depending on how gooey you like your batter. (75 calories.)

Frozen Chocolate Banana Chips: Slice an overripe banana into coins, drizzle with a tablespoon of sugar-free chocolate syrup, and lay them flat in a zipper plastic bag. Freeze. (About 112 calories – You can try this with Strawberries too.)

Banana Lick-ity-Split: Take 1/2 a banana, roll it in unsweetened cocoa powder, and top with 2 tablespoons of fat- free whipped cream (70 calories, 0 grams fat.)

White Chocolate Yogurt: Just add 1 to 2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to a 6-ounce tub of light vanilla yogurt. (About 100 calories.)

The Team at i-Supplements.com

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