Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to enjoy one of the world’s most beloved sweets: chocolate.
If you are careful about your diet, you don’t have to abstain completely. However, excess 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 serving size of a box of chocolates is about two pieces
Yes, that’s right, the standard serving size for a box of Valentine’s chocolates is smaller than you might think: just two pieces, or about 30 to 40 grams.
“You should limit your intake of added sugars to no more than 10 percent of total calories, according to the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN and owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in the Downtown area. New York. .
(Mind you we’re talking added sugars here, not the natural sugars found in, say, an apple.)
For example, if you eat a 2,000-calorie diet, she says, you should aim to consume no more than 200 calories of added sugar per day. This is equal to 50 grams. However, “the American Heart Association has stricter guidelines,” says Jennifer Glockner, RDN and creator of the Smartee Plate.
The AHA says added sugars should make up no more than half of your free calories, which are the calories left over after you’ve met your daily nutrient requirements.
For most American women, that equates to about 100 calories a day from added sugars, respectively, or about an ounce (or 28 grams) of chocolate a day.
However, keep in mind that added sugars aren’t just in sweets. They’re also in foods like salad dressings and white bread – it’s always important to read your labels.
2. Chocolate Contains Compounds similar to Antioxidants
If you’ve heard that chocolate is healthy, you’re not entirely wrong. Chocolate—more specifically, cocoa—contains compounds similar to antioxidants that can help mitigate cell damage caused by free radicals in the body.
Research suggests that flavonoids have antioxidant properties, and the flavonoids and flavanols specifically found in dark chocolate may have health benefits, Glockner says.
That said, eating dark chocolate doesn’t automatically improve your health. “To get the full 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 consists of cocoa beans, cocoa butter and additives like sugar,” says Glockner, but “dark chocolate contains more cocoa beans and usually less sugar.”
Additionally, “cacao beans also have protein, fiber, and 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, says Glockner.
4. Boxes of chocolate can be loaded with additives
Valentine’s Day chocolates, like most sweets, contain ingredients such as added sugars and additives. Some added sugars are obvious, but others have more confusing names that you might overlook in the ingredients list:
- Sweet corn
- Corn syrup
- Dextrose
- Fructose
- GLUCOSE
- High fructose corn syrup
- Lactose
- Malt syrup
- Maltose
- molasses
- sucrose
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 wreak havoc on 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 from eating, say, half a box of chocolate in one sitting, your body releases insulin, Glockner says, which can then cause blood sugar levels to drop within hours. This drop is what is known as an energy crash.
When this happens, “Low blood sugar levels can make you feel very hungry, shaky, irritable, tired and sleepy, with a lack of concentration,” she says.
Over time, Gorin adds, eating too much sugar can also increase your risk of weight gain, tooth decay and other health issues. “Also, consuming calories from added sugars takes away room in your diet for nutrient-dense foods,” she says.
To help maintain stable blood sugar levels and prevent crashes, Glockner recommends eating sugar at the end of your meal, along with some protein and fiber. This slows the absorption rate of sugar, she says.
6. Some chocolate foods are healthier than others
There’s no one type of chocolate that’s best for Valentine’s Day – what you enjoy depends on your preferences and dietary needs.
A quick rule of thumb, though, is to look for dark chocolate that lists cocoa as the first ingredient, rather than sugar, Glockner says.
Also consider other types of chocolate treats, such as dark chocolate bark with almonds or coconut flakes. The nuts in the chocolate provide some protein, fiber and healthy fats, says Gorin.
Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate are also a good choice, she adds, since “you get the fiber and antioxidants from the strawberries, as well as the health benefits of dark chocolate.”
If you’re looking for healthier ways to satisfy your cravings, Chocolate Shakeology offers 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 booster in any of these 16 sweet tooth-satisfying recipes.
7. An occasional treat won’t ruin your diet
General Supply: Yes, you can incorporate some Valentine’s Day chocolate into your diet without derailing, 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 sweets, paying attention to their taste and texture, and not multitasking while you eat—all good tips to help you practice mindful eating.
And try not to feel guilty about the indulgence, says Glockner. “It’s more important to maintain a healthy eating pattern overall than to focus on (the effect of) one snack or one day,” she says.
