Valentine’s Day it’s the perfect excuse to enjoy one of the most beloved sweets: chocolate.
If you watch your diet, you don’t have to completely abstain. However, overdoing it can have consequences for your health. Before you open that box, here are seven facts you should know about Valentine’s Day chocolates.
1. The size of a serving box of chocolate is approximately two pieces
Yes, that’s right, the standard serving size for Valentine’s Day chocolates is smaller than you think: just two pieces or about 30 to 40 grams.
“You should limit input added sugars no more than 10 percent of your total calories, according to the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN and owner Nutrition by Amy Gorin in the New York City area.
(Note that we are talking about added sugars here, sugars that are not found in nature, say apple.)
For example, if you’re eating a 2,000-calorie diet, she says, you should aim for no more than 200 calories of added sugar per day. That’s the equivalent of 50 grams. However, “The American Heart Association has stricter guidelines,” says Jennifer Glockner, RDN and creator Smartee board.
The AHA says added sugars should compensate not more than half of your discretionary calories, which are the calories you have left over after you’ve met yours daily nutrient requirements.
For most American women, that equates to about 100 calories a day from added sugars, or about one ounce (or 28 grams) of chocolate a day.
Keep in mind that added sugars aren’t just in candy. They are also found in foods such as salad dressing and white bread — always important read your labels.
2. Chocolate contains compounds similar to antioxidants
If you have heard that chocolate is healthy, you are not completely wrong. Chocolate — more precisely, cocoa — contains compounds similar to antioxidants which can help alleviate cell damage caused by free radicals in the body.
Research suggests flavonoids have antioxidant propertiesand flavonoids and flavanols, which are especially found in dark chocolate may have health benefitssays Glockner.
However, eating dark chocolate does not automatically improve your health. “To get the full benefits of flavanols,” says Glockner, “you may need to consume a lot of chocolate, which also means an increase in sugar and calories.”
3. Dark chocolate contains less sugar than milk chocolate
“Chocolate consists of cocoa beans, cocoa butter, and additives like sugar,” says Glockner, but “dark chocolate contains more cocoa beans and usually less sugar.”
Moreover, “cocoa beans also contain protein, fiberand minerals like iron and magnesium,” says Glockner. “So the darker the chocolate,” she adds, “the more health benefits you get.”
So if you want minimal additives and less sugar in your treats, look for chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cocoa solids, Glockner says.
4. Boxes of chocolate can be full of additives
Chocolates for Valentine’s Day, like most sweet treats, contain ingredients such as added sugars and additives. Some added sugars are obvious, but others have more confusing names you can overlook in the list of ingredients:
- Corn sweetener
- Corn syrup
- Dextrose
- Fructose
- Glucose
- High fructose corn syrup
- Lactose
- Malt syrup
- Maltose
- Molasses
- Saccharose
Other types of added sugars include sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and maltitol, as well as artificial sweeteners such as saccharin and aspartame.
5. Overdoing it can potentially affect your hormones
He can eat chocolate they trigger the pleasure and reward centers in your brain, which makes you feel good, but it’s a slippery slope.
When your spikes in blood sugar levels if you eat, say, half a candy bar in one sitting, your body releases insulin, Glockner says, which can cause your blood sugar to drop within hours. This drop is what is known as an energy crash.
When this happens, “low blood sugar can make you feel very hungry, shaky, jittery, tired and sleepy, with a lack of concentration,” she says.
Over time, adds Gorin, eating too much sugar it can also increase the risk of weight gain, tooth decay and other health problems. “Also, consuming calories from added sugars takes up space in your diet for nutritionally rich food“, she says.
To keep blood sugar stable and prevent crashes, Glockner recommends eating sugar at the end of a meal, along with some protein and fiber. This slows the rate of sugar absorption, she says.
6. Some chocolate treats are healthier than others
There’s no one type of chocolate that’s best for Valentine’s Day — what you eat depends on your preferences and dietary needs.
However, a rule of thumb is to look for dark chocolate that lists cocoa as the first ingredient, not sugar, Glockner says.
Also consider other types of chocolate treats, such as dark chocolate bark with almonds or coconut flakes. Nuts in chocolate offer some protein, fiber and healthy fatssays Gorin.
Dark chocolate-dipped strawberries are also a good choice, she adds, because “you get the fiber and antioxidants from the strawberries, as well as the health benefits of the dark chocolate.”
If you’re looking for healthier ways to satisfy your cravings, Chocolate shakeology delivers a deeply rich chocolate flavor while delivering 17 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber and a host of superfood nutrients in every scoop. Enjoy it on its own as a shake or as a nutrient addition to any of these 16 recipes that satisfy the sweet tooth.
7. Occasional indulgence will not spoil your diet
The bottom line: Yes, you can incorporate some Valentine’s Day chocolate into your diet without throwing yourself out of your rut, but you want to avoid plowing through half a box at once.
“Try to make your candy bar last—and really enjoy the chocolate while you’re eating it,” says Gorin. She suggests enjoying sweets, paying attention to their taste and texture, and not multitasking while eating—all good tips to help you exercise conscious eating.
And try not to feel guilty about indulging, says Glockner. “It’s more important to maintain a healthy eating pattern in general than to focus on it [the effect of] one snack or one day,” she says.
