Does the thought of "death by chocolate" sound pretty painless to you? Would you sacrifice your most valuable possession for a lifetime supply of scrumptious chocolate mousse? Is the thought of never indulging in another piece of white chocolate enough to bring you to tears?
Hi, my name is (fill in the blank) and I'm a chocoholic...
Okay, so you can’t actually become addicted to chocolate. So why not live a little and eat chocolate - even when you are on a diet?
Well, the reality of it is that a little quickly becomes A LOT! The average person consumes 12 pounds of chocolate per year. And we all know that satisfying your sweet tooth on a regular basis can make the calories and fat go straight from your lips to your hips.
Studies show chocolate is the single most craved food. Of course, a die-hard chocolate lover can quickly point out the health benefits of nibbling on a piece now and then. For starters, chocolate contains high levels of phenolics - chemicals which may help lower the risk of heart disease. Chocolate can also help elevate mood – as many of us know only too well!
Fortunately, you can have your chocolate cake and eat it... provided you do it in moderation. Or even better, you can enjoy a daily chocolate fix – with a little nutrition know-how!
‘Going on a diet’ doesn’t have to be about deprivation and the foods you can’t have deprivation. You don’t have to give up your favourite food – but you do have to figure out how to fit your favourite food into your lifestyle.
If you want a little chocolate every day, try to keep your snack under 150 calories. And common sense should tell you if you can’t resist the temptation, don’t bring a box of chocolates or a gallon of ice cream into your house. Your best bet is to sample one eDiets five tricks for eating chocolate and losing weight.
1. Dark chocolate! A hunk of deep, dark chocolate smells luscious and even the very first bite is very satisfying. This is because dark chocolate is much higher in cocoa than milk or white chocolate and so a little goes a longer way. Dark chocolate has only about 110 calories per ounce (30g)!
2. Chocolate sundaes! Make a chocolate sundae with fresh fruit instead of ice cream. Chocolate syrup has only 25 to 50 calories per tablespoon!
3. Old-fashioned chocolate "ice cream" floats! For hot summer nights, make a frosty chocolate float. Place a couple of spoonfuls of low fat chocolate frozen yoghurt into a glass and top up with diet lemonade. Our ice cream soda serves up a cool, refreshing drink that satisfies your chocolate craving for about 110 calories.
4. Chocolate mousse! Most supermarkets now offer chocolate mousse in their healthy eating ranges. Sainsbury’s Be Good To Yourself, Marks and Spencer’s Count on Us and Safeway’s Eat Smart ranges all include yummy chocolate mousse at around 100 cals.
5. Hot Chocolate! For a sweet mid-afternoon snack or a hot drink before bed, you can’t beat a low cal hot chocolate. Cadbury’s Highlights and Options have less than 50 cals per sachet!