7 ways to include chocolate in a healthy diet, according to an expert (2024)

As a chocolate writer, I easily eat a kilo of chocolate every month, if not two.

Yet I am not overweight.

It's partly my age and genetics, yes, but the amount of chocolate I eat is almost inhumane some days. I have had periods of imbalance. But exercising, even when I travel, and eating a (mostly) balanced diet is only part of my secret. I also attribute this ability to the conscious eating choices I make every day.

You might be surprised to learnchocolate is good for you, but it certainly won't surprise you that most people push the definition of "chocolate" to the extreme. Just because something has a chocolate flavor doesn't mean it has retained the healthy properties of cocoa.I'm looking at you, fudge brownies.I won't lie: There's no way to make a Snickers bar healthy. But there are ways to do itsincerelychocolatehealthy and they fall into 3 categories: quality, quantity and perception.

Quality

1: Buy better chocolate.

Buy better chocolatedoesn't just mean you have to buy more expensive chocolate, although that is usually the case. It has been shown that spending more money on a product makes you like it more because you have put your trust in it by purchasing it. But better chocolate is more about understanding the story behind a particular chocolate bar and connecting it to your food on a fundamental level. Choose producers who have connections to the place where they get their cocoa fromalso supports cocoa farmers.

Attend a chocolate tasting or pairing workshop to experience the full effect of this change.

2: Go dark.

Choose dark chocolate or dark coconut milk chocolate if you want to maximize the health benefits. It's not just a lower cocoa content that makes milk chocolate less good for you. The proteins in animal milk bind to the antioxidants in chocolate, preventing them from being used by your body. But beyond a health perspective, dark chocolate also tends to have more complex flavor components, leaving you more satisfied than a standard, sugar-laden milk chocolate.

However, if you cannot tolerate stronger flavors, you should choose a chocolate with a high cocoa percentage (55%+) and amilk alternative(coconut, soy, almond, etc.) to experience the smooth taste of milk chocolate with the same health benefits as dark chocolate.

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Quantity

3: Create a routine.

It may seem like a daunting task to add chocolate consumption to your daily routinehealthy and fastchoice, but be patient. By choosing the quality and then the amount of chocolate you can eat healthily each day, depending on any calorie restrictions or health concerns, you practice mindful eating. Creating a routine around when you eat chocolate means choosing a time and place to eat some of your stash,enjoy itinstead of just devouring.

4: Find the balance.

I know better than anyone that no matter how much you are expected to constantly eat a balanced diet, sometimes the scales tip more heavily in one direction (usually towards the dessert table). To offset the fatty and simple carbs in chocolate, I make sure to eat plenty of fresh or stir-fried vegetables followed by a good portion of protein (or sooner if I plan to devour a box of 12 chocolates).

Consider, for example, a Caesar salad with chicken, stir-fried vegetables and a generous handful of almonds, or a steak and salad. Life is about balance, and that applies even on a small scale. People always told me "you can't eat chocolate for breakfast", but look at me now: almonds in one hand and a chocolate bar in the other.

Yes, this one may seem obvious; Eating half a bar of chocolate and giving the rest to your daughter or dog (wait, don't do that last one) is less bad for you. But research shows that enjoying something tasty with others makes the experience more enjoyable. Additionally, you can try more variety in the bars you try by manipulating the number of chocolates you can try without changing the quantity.

Perception

6: Work for that chocolate.

When I write a new onechocolate guide, so far I walk several kilometers a day without exception.

This forces me to choose my treats carefully and also learn everything I can about local transportation (mostly buses). It gives me time to practice flexing all my muscles, from my brain to my calves. Get used to exercise, probably by accident, if you're planning a self-guided chocolate tour like mine. But also keep exercise in mind at all times and think about how you can turn your weekly chores into a healthy workout routine. Remember that any food containing sugar is a treat and should be considered as such.

7: Chocolate for breakfast.

Like I said before, chocolate for breakfast is a perfectly valid life choice. But again,a Snickers bar doesn't count as chocolate.

So experiment with the different types of chocolate (nibs, whole cocoa beans, cocoa tea, chocolate chips, etc.). Add chocolate to another part of your meal, such as adding nibs to your trail mix or making a mole sauce for your chicken for dinner. Change your perception of chocolate as sweet and learn to appreciate the basic flavor of cocoa, along with all the other nuances that emerge when you eat chocolate in its various forms.

I hope this article has made you think about the place of chocolate in your life! What did you learn about chocolate today?

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