There is room for chocolate in a healthy diet

When was the last time you enjoyed chocolate? A lot of clients feel that I am going to tell them that they can’t have chocolate in a healthy diet, or that they can only have it at certain times or in set amounts – But nope, not me!

You may wonder how chocolate can always be on the menu with a registered dietitian.  When you eat intuitively, you are satisfied and able to stop at the chocolate amount that is just right for you.  For more information see “What is intuitive eating”.

No foods are off limits with intuitive eating, including chocolate

 By striving to live a more balanced lifestyle, no food is off limits. This means you can make room for chocolate regularly.

With just a little bit of education and some meal-planning inspiration, you can have fun with chocolate. And yes, you can enjoy chocolate daily, stress-free. Really!

How to balance chocolate

There is a way to balance chocolate in a healthy diet in a way that supports your nutrition goals and feels right physically and mentally for you.

You start by shifting your way of thinking about chocolate and removing any negative messages you may have heard about chocolate while following diets.

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Nutrition benefits of chocolate

There are nutritional benefits of chocolate that help with reducing the risk for some health conditions, like heart health and cancer prevention.

So when it comes to selecting chocolate, cocoa content matters. Dark chocolate [~70% or greater] has powerful antioxidants known for their ability to lower blood pressure and improve heart health. These antioxidants may also have a role in cancer prevention.

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Meal prepping with chocolate

As you are selecting chocolate for meal prepping, knowing a bit about the different forms of chocolate is helpful. Chocolate comes in different forms for different applications in the kitchen:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

➡️ cocoa and cacao powder (cacao is raw – fermented beans not roasted)

➡️ dark chocolate solids like bars and chips

➡️ cocoa nibs (pieces of cacao beans used to make chocolate)

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Tips for incorporating cocoa into your menus

Besides sitting down and unwrapping a nice piece of chocolate to savor, you can add some to your plans by trying one of the following tips.

✅ Mix unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder into chia puddings, overnight oats, oatmeal, or use to make black bean brownies.

✅ Sprinkle mini dark chocolate chips on snacks and breakfast – they are like a party-in-a-bag 🎉. Top everything from peanut butter-coated apple slices to breakfast bowls.

✅ Add cacao nibs to smoothies or as a topping for a surprising, slightly bitter crunch.

There is room for chocolate in a healthy diet⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Clients I work with love the freedom they experience when they discover there is room for chocolate in a healthy diet.  There are some reasons people feel conflicted and struggle with chocolate, see more about “Why I can’t stop eating”

If you want more information on how I can help you incorporate and feel better about chocolate into your regular routine, schedule a free discovery call time so we can talk.

There’s always room for chocolate (and ice cream)!

If you are someone who came here and wondering if chocolate is an issue for you or if you have an emotional eating issue, You can click here and take our emotional eating quiz and find out if you are using chocolate as a way of coping with emotional eating.