When it comes to dark chocolate, sometimes we just can’t get more than enough!
It’s perfectly fine to add a daily serving of chocolate to your diet, and perhaps recommended for health reasons, but there are a few things you need to be aware of before indulging.
Tip #1: Be careful with calories
Dark chocolate is very high in fat and full of calories. It’s not recommended to eat a pound of chocolate a day, although it can feel hard not to overload.
Along with a balanced diet, be sure to add no more than 100 grams (or 3.5 ounces) of dark chocolate per day to maximize the benefits.
A bar of chocolate typically has around 400 calories. So if you choose to eat 1/2 of that bar, that’s about 200 calories. Therefore, you must do something to make up for those 200 extra calories, whether it’s giving up something you would eat or increasing your physical activity to burn off those extra calories.
Tip #2: Don’t inhale!
When it comes to desserts (especially chocolate), I’ve been known to inhale through sight.
Don’t do this! Instead, focus on tasting the chocolate.
Because chocolate really is a complicated food with over 300 compounds and chemicals hiding in every bite, you really need to slow down and focus on enjoying and appreciating the unique taste.
Professional chocolate tasters (wow, I want that job!) have actually developed a system for tasting chocolate that includes a multitude of quality ratings ranging from the look, smell, feel and taste of each delicious piece.
Tip #3: Skip the milk
I understand that milk chocolate is creamier and sugarier than maybe 70% cacao chocolate, but believe me, once dark you won’t want to go back!
Chocolate has so many more antioxidants compared to milk or white chocolate, neither of which offer any real health benefits. Choose a nice chocolate with 65% higher cacao content. My personal favorite is 70-75% cocoa. Delicious!
Tip #4: Avoid fillers
Whether it’s a nougat, caramel, or nut core hiding in your chocolate bar, you’re not going to get the full benefits if it’s loaded with plenty of sugary, chemical trans-fat material!
Instead, look for plain chocolates with nuts, orange peel, or other flavors. That way, you can still enjoy trying different flavors if you’re not the biggest fan of dark chocolate.
However, avoid anything with caramel, nougat, or other sugary fillers.
Tip #5: Avoid drinking milk with your chocolate
Sounds strange right? I find that difficult.
While it might seem like a good idea to wash down your delicious chocolate treats with a nice, cold glass of milk afterwards, some scientific studies have found that doing so can actually prevent certain antioxidants from being absorbed by your body.
If you really need to quench your thirst, try replacing it with a glass of water instead.
Thanks to Elise M.
