Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to enjoy one of everyone’s most beloved treats: chocolate.
If you pay attention to your diet, you don’t have to abstain completely. However, going too far can have consequences for your health. Before you open that box, here are seven facts you need to know about Valentine’s Day chocolates.
1. The serving size of a box of chocolate is approximately two pieces
Yes, that’s right, the standard serving size from a box of Valentine’s Day chocolates is smaller than you might think: just two pieces, or about 30 to 40 grams.
“You should limit your consumption of added sugars at no more than 10 percent of your total calories, whichever is most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americanssays Amy Gorin, MS, RDN and owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in the New York area.
(Keep in mind that we are talking about added sugars here, no natural sugars found, let’s say, an apple.)
For example, if you’re on a 2,000-calorie diet, she says, you shouldn’t consume more than 200 calories of added sugar per day. This is the equivalent of 50 grams. However, “the American Heart Association has stricter guidelines,” says Jennifer Glockner, RDN and creator of Smartee plate.
The AHA says added sugars should compensate no more than half of your discretionary calories, which are the calories remaining once you have reached your daily nutritional needs.
For most American women, that equates to about 100 calories per day from added sugars, respectively, or about one ounce (or 28 grams) of chocolate per day.
Keep in mind that added sugars aren’t just found in sweets. It is also found in foods like salad dressing and white bread. It is always important to read your labels.
2. Chocolate contains antioxidant-like compounds
If you’ve heard that chocolate is healthy, you’re not entirely wrong. Chocolate – more precisely cocoa – contains antioxidant-like compounds this can help mitigate damage to cells caused by free radicals in the body.
Research suggests flavonoids have antioxidant propertiesas well as the flavonoids and flavanols specifically present in dark chocolate may have health benefitsGlockner said.
That said, eating dark chocolate doesn’t automatically improve your health. “In order to fully reap the benefits of flavanols,” says Glockner, “you may need to consume a large amount of chocolate, which also means increasing your sugar and calorie intake.”
3. Dark chocolate contains less sugar than milk chocolate
“Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, cocoa butter, and additives like sugar,” says Glockner, but “dark chocolate has more cocoa beans and usually less sugar.”
Additionally, “cocoa beans also contain protein, fiberand minerals such as 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 with at least 70 percent cocoa, says Glockner.
4. Chocolate boxes can be loaded with additives
Valentine’s Day chocolates, like most sweet treats, contain ingredients like added sugars and additives. Some added sugars are obvious, but others contain more. confusing names you might forget in the list of ingredients:
- Corn Sweetener
- Corn syrup
- Dextrose
- Fructose
- Glucose
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Lactose
- Malt syrup
- Maltose
- Molasses
- Sucrose
Other types of added sugars include sugar alcohols like sorbitol and maltitol, as well as artificial sweeteners like saccharin and aspartame.
5. Overdoing it can potentially disrupt your hormones
Eating chocolate can trigger the pleasure and reward centers in your brain, making you feel good, but it’s a slippery slope.
When your blood sugar spikes By eating, say, half a box of chocolates in one sitting, your body releases insulin, says Glockner, which can then lower your blood sugar levels within a few hours. This drop is what we call an energy crash.
When this happens, “low blood sugar can cause feelings of hunger, tremor, nervousness, fatigue and drowsiness, as well as a lack of concentration,” she says.
Over time, Gorin adds, eat too much sugar may also increase your risk of weight gain, cavities, and other health problems. “Plus, consuming calories from added sugars takes away space in your diet for nutrient-rich foods“, she said.
To help keep blood sugar levels stable and avoid crashes, Glockner recommends eating some sugar at the end of your 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 is no one type of chocolate that is ideal for Valentine’s Day: what you enjoy depends on your preferences and dietary needs.
However, a general rule of thumb is to look for dark chocolate whose first ingredient is cocoa, rather than sugar, says Glockner.
Also consider other types of chocolate treats, like dark chocolate almond bark or coconut flakes. The nuts in chocolate offer some protein, fiber and healthy fatsGorin said.
Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate are also a good choice, she adds, because “the strawberry gives you fiber and antioxidants, as well as the health benefits of dark chocolate.”
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7. An occasional indulgence won’t ruin your diet
The bottom line: Yes, you can incorporate Valentine’s Day chocolate into your diet without getting derailed, but you want to avoid plowing through half a box in one sitting.
“Try to make a box of chocolates last and really enjoy the chocolate when you eat it,” says Gorin. She suggests savoring the candy, paying attention to its taste and texture, and not multitasking while you eat — all good tips to help you practice. eat mindfully.
And try not to feel guilty about indulging, says Glockner. “Maintaining a healthy diet is more important than focusing on [the effect of] a snack or a day,” she says.
