31 Days of Healthy Eating - Chocolate

Chocolate is my foodie weakness. Life without chocolate is not something I would want to contemplate, so realising that chocolate is a healthy option was a happy moment!

For chocolate to be a health food it needs to be dark chocolate, ideally at least 70% cocoa. Before I started eating healthily I almost always opted for milk chocolate. Although I didn't mind dark chocolate I rarely chose it. Now I eat a couple of squares of dark chocolate pretty much every day, and rarely touch the sweeter stuff. Some days I have a chocolate craving and eat four squares, but mostly I stick to two. As the dark stuff is much richer I find there is less temptation to overeat - more than four would just be too much for me.

My usual chocolate of choice is Tesco's standard 74% chocolate, which costs 99p a bar and is easy to get as it is sold in our local Tesco Express. Sometimes I splurge on Lindt or Green and Black's, or ring the changes with an 85% cocoa bar. I also just discovered Tesco's finest Swiss- style dark chocolate. Even nicer than the more expensive stuff! I usually like to eat my chocolate after dinner - it seems to reduce evening food cravings.

Dark chocolate has an amazing number of health benefits. It really is a superfood, with a number of reputable studies showing that it:

- improves heart health
- reduces insulin sensitivity (and so reduces theism if developing diabetes
- aids weight kiss by increasing feelings of fullness and reducing food cravings
- increases blood flow to the brain
- contains theobromine - a mild stimulant and cough suppressor
- packed with antioxidants
- high in vitamins and minerals.

You can read more at:

6 Health Benefits of dark chocolate
Nine health benefits of chocolate

Healthy eating doesn't have to mean missing out on treats!