7 facts about Valentine’s Day chocolate

Valentine’s Day The perfect excuse to enjoy one of the most popular sweets of all: chocolate.

Complete withdrawal is not necessary if you watch your diet. However, overdoing it can have an impact on your health. Before you open the box, here are seven facts you should know about Valentine’s Day chocolates.

1. The size of the chocolate box is about two pieces

Yes, that’s right, the standard portion of a Valentine’s Day box of chocolates is smaller than you might think: just two pieces, or about 30 to 40 grams.

“You should Limit your intake According to the latest research, added sugar should not exceed 10% of total calories Dietary Guidelines for Americans” says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, also Amy Golin Nutrition in the New York City area.

(Remember we are talking about additional carbohydrate Here, sugars that are not naturally occurring, e.g. an apple.)

For example, if you’re on a 2,000-calorie diet, you should aim to consume no more than 200 calories of added sugar per day, she says. This is equivalent to 50 grams. However, “the American Heart Association has stricter guidelines,” says Jennifer Glockner, RDN and founder. Zhengya Tablet.

American Heart Association (AHA) says added sugar can compensate no more than half Your discretionary calories are the calories left after you have reached your calorie intake daily nutritional requirements.

For most American women, this equates to about 100 calories per day from added sugar, or about 1 ounce (or 28 grams) of chocolate per day.

But remember, added sugar isn’t just found in candy. They’re also found in foods like salad dressings and white bread – which is always important read your labels.

2. Chocolate contains antioxidant-like compounds

If you’ve heard that chocolate is good for your health, you’re not entirely wrong. Chocolate—more specifically cocoa—contains antioxidant compounds This can help reduce the damage caused to cells by free radicals in the body.

Research shows flavonoids Has antioxidant propertiesas well as the flavonoids and flavanols unique to dark chocolate may have health benefitsGlockner said.

That said, eating dark chocolate won’t automatically improve your health. “To get the full benefit of flavanols,” Glockner says, “you may need to eat a lot of chocolate, which also means increased sugar and calorie intake.”

3. Dark chocolate contains less sugar than milk chocolate

“Chocolate is made up of additives like cocoa beans, cocoa butter and sugar,” Glockner said, but “dark chocolate contains more cocoa beans and generally less sugar.”

What’s more, “cocoa beans also contain protein, fiberas well as minerals such as iron and magnesium,” Glockner said. “So the darker the chocolate,” she added, “the greater the health benefits.”

So if you want a snack with minimal additives and sugar, look for chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cocoa, Glockner says.

4. Chocolate boxes can contain additives

Valentine’s Day chocolates, like most sweet treats, contain ingredients such as added sugar and additives. Some added sugars are obvious, but others are more confusing name You might omit from the ingredient list:

• corn sweetener
• corn syrup
• glucose
• fructose
• glucose
• high fructose corn syrup
• lactose
• maltose syrup
• maltose
• molasses
• sucrose

Other types of added sugar include Sugar alcohol Such as sorbitol and maltitol, and artificial sweeteners such as saccharin and aspartame.

5. Overdoing it may disrupt your hormones

It’s okay to eat chocolate Trigger pleasure and reward centers In your brain, it makes you feel good, but it’s a slippery slope.

when your blood sugar level spike Eat half a box of chocolates at once and your body releases insulin, which causes your blood sugar levels to drop within a few hours, Glockner says. This decline is known as an energy collapse.

When this happens, “low blood sugar levels may make you feel very hungry, shaky, nervous, tired and sleepy, and have difficulty concentrating,” she says.

Over time, Göring added, eat too much sugar It also increases the risk of weight gain, tooth decay, and other health problems. “Also, consuming calories from added sugar takes up space in your diet nutritious food,” she said.

To help maintain stable blood sugar levels and prevent crashes, Glockner recommends eating sugar after a meal along with some protein and fiber. This can slow down the absorption of sugar, she says.

6. Some chocolates are healthier than others

There’s no one type of chocolate that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day—what you enjoy depends on your preferences and dietary needs.

However, Glockner says a quick rule of thumb is to look for dark chocolate that lists cocoa as the first ingredient, rather than sugar.

Consider other types of chocolate, too, such as dark chocolate bark with almonds or coconut flakes. The nuts in chocolate provide some protein, fiber and healthy fatsGoering said.

Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate are also a good choice, she adds, because “you get the fiber and antioxidants from the strawberries, and dark chocolate has health benefits, too.”

If you’re looking for healthier ways to satisfy your cravings, Chocolate Milkshake Science Each scoop delivers rich chocolate flavor while providing 17 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber and tons of superfood nutrients. Enjoy it on its own as a smoothie or as a nutritional supplement to any of these 16 Sweet Tooth Satisfying Recipes.

7. Occasional indulgences won’t ruin your diet

General takeaways: Yes, you can incorporate some Valentine’s Day chocolates into your diet without going off track, but you want to avoid eating half a box of chocolates in one sitting.

“Try to make a box of chocolates at the end – really enjoy the chocolate when you eat it,” Goering said. She recommends tasting the candy, paying attention to its taste and texture, and not multitasking while eating — all good advice to help you practice Eat mindfully.

Try not to feel guilty about overindulging, Glockner says. “Maintaining a healthy eating pattern overall is more important than focusing on one snack or day,” she says.