Chocolate and losing weight? These are responsible substitutes! Tip of the week 21
Chocolate and losing weight? These are responsible substitutes! Who doesn't know it, that irrepressible craving for... chocolate!
Although we all know what a huge fattener chocolate is, sometimes these cravings are hard to resist. So what can you do about this?
If you want to lose weight and really crave chocolate, these are responsible substitutes:
- Have a cup of half-full chocolate milk just when it is actually time for your 'responsible snack'. Take small sips so you can taste the chocolate properly and enjoy it for a long time
- Take up to five hazelnuts. These nuts are often included in chocolate bars or snack bars. Eating these nuts quiets the worst cravings and makes you feel like you are eating a Nuts or other chocolate with hazelnuts. Eat the nuts piece by piece, chew well, and enjoy them, this is responsible provided you don't do this every day (unless you exercise intensively), they do contain a lot of calories in addition to vitamins, protein and fibre.
- After a brisk walk or workout, have a bowl of low-fat cottage cheese with cocoa powder and some hazelnuts.
- A tasty and responsible chocolate snack is: low-fat cottage cheese, cocoa powder to taste, a banana and a little honey. Ideal after a workout.
- For breakfast or lunch, eat a plate of oatmeal with a generous scoop of cocoa powder mixed in. Optionally, you can add about five hazelnuts. Super nutritious, healthy and with the taste of (hazelnut) chocolate!
- At breakfast or lunch, eat a whole-wheat sandwich with thinly spread hazelnut spread, dark chocolate spread or dark chocolate sprinkles.
- Beware of so-called diet chocolate bars! These may contain less sugar than regular chocolate bars but are nonetheless not sugar-free. In addition, they usually contain even more (saturated!) fat than regular chocolate!
- If you do crave a 'real' bar of chocolate, opt for the dark variety. Bitter chocolate contains antioxidants that can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The milk in other types of chocolate makes these antioxidants less able to pass through the blood. Moreover, the taste of dark chocolate is stronger, so you will eat less of it, and it also contains proportionally quite a lot of fibre thanks to its high cocoa content. Don't overdo it though, just take a few pieces instead of the whole bar!
- Do you like dark chocolate? To get used to the strong taste, it's better to start with a piece that contains only 50% cocoa. After that, buy chocolate that contains 70% cocoa. And if you dare after that a super dark with 90%. Once you get used to this, you will eventually find that milk chocolate doesn't taste nearly as good to you as it used to.
Craving chocolate and losing weight? These are responsible substitutes!
High-protein chocolate shakes and bars are highly recommended. Ideal for cravings between meals or before or after exercise. Check the packaging though, some products still contain a lot of sugars and fat besides protein.
Want to try? Click on the link of the bar of your choice.
clean protein bar chocolate peanut butter
barebells protein bars various flavours
Click on the link below for a variety of high-protein chocolate shakes. The powder you use to make these comes in convenient portion sachets as well as inexpensive bags, boxes and jars.
Even if you want to lose weight, you can still satisfy your cravings for chocolate just fine with responsible substitutes.
This week you may also weigh yourself! Click >HERE for handy weighing and measuring tips.
The above text previously appeared in the Balance book. The book is now sold out, but may still be available to order second-hand via the link below.
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