How to Love Chocolate and Keep Your Healthy Diet

How tomato chocolate healthy with fruit

Sweet juicy mandarin oranges dipped in warm dark chocolate. Oh yes! That’s how to make chocolate healthy.

Chocolate is one of my three favorite foods. (FYI, the others are peanut butter and dark-roasted black coffee. And, oh boy, are these three delights even more delightful together!) My clients and friends often ask me if chocolate is healthy. I sure want it to be. It seems like it can be. Here’s a bit of what we know about the health benefits of chocolate and how you can keep both your delicious treat and your healthy diet whether your concerns are heart health, diabetes management, weight control or healthy aging.

5 Benefits of Chocolate (maybe)

Though the research is murky, there are a number of interesting studies to suggest some health benefits of consuming certain types of chocolate. The following is just a sample of the research.

  1. Blood pressure: An analysis of several randomized controlled studies found that consuming certain types of chocolate lowered blood pressure a small, but significant, amount. That’s a big plus for your heart!
  2. Inflammation: Low levels of chronic inflammation frequently precede the onset of chronic health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. One study found lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, among people who consumed dark chocolate compared to those who didn’t eat dark chocolate. In this study, people who ate dark chocolate also had better diets overall. They consumed less meat, refined grains and alcohol and more fish, nuts and seeds.
  3. Insulin resistance: Chocolate or cocoa may reduce insulin resistance, which is a boon to those with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
  4. Cognition: Some research has found that more frequent chocolate consumption is related to improvements in certain types of cognitive function in adults.
  5. Happiness: I don’t need a study for this. For me, eating small amounts of high quality chocolate makes me happy, but only when I eat mindfully. I’m happy when I’m eating it, and I’m happy when I’m done because I know that I can have more tomorrow or another time.
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chocolate peanut butter balls

Easy to make, easy to love chocolate peanut butter oat balls. Another way to make chocolate healthy.

6 Ways to Fit Chocolate into Your Healthy Diet

So the research suggests that chocolate may indeed be good for us. But not all chocolate is healthful. Follow these tips to love the heck out of your chocolate and not ruin your wholesome diet.

  1. Choose dark dark chocolate. Cocoa beans, from which chocolate is made, contain flavanols. These are the same types of health-boosting compounds in fruits, vegetables, and teas. Sorry, you can’t count chocolate as a serving of fruits or vegetables! Chocolate is much higher in calories and typically much lower in flavanols. But it is these compounds that researchers credit with making chocolate healthy. Unfortunately, not all chocolate – even dark chocolate – is rich in flavanols. Manufacturers often remove them during processing, but you are most likely to find them in dark chocolate. For example, a square of chocolate with 85% cocoa solids will likely have more flavanols than a square with only 72% cocoa solids. White chocolate has none because white chocolate is made with cocoa butter, not cocoa solids, which provide all of the flavanols.
  2. Choose the right cocoa powder. Skip the Dutched cocoa or cocoa processed with alkali. This type of processing destroys the health-boosting flavanols.
  3. Enjoy your chocolate plain or with nuts and fruit. Skip the ooey-gooey add-ins. Fillings like caramel, nougat and raspberry cream bring with them loads of calories, added sugars and saturated fats. Nuts and fruits bring an army of disease fighters. Try my chocolate-dipped apricots and my chocolate peanut butter oat balls. You’ll love them.
  4. Make swaps. Yes, it looks like chocolate can be good for us, but not if it causes us to pack on the pounds or if it raises blood sugar for people with diabetes. An ounce of chocolate rings in at about 170 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrate, so don’t simply add it to your diet. Instead replace less wholesome foods like brownies, donuts and fried onion rings with a small bit of dark chocolate.
  5. Skip the baked goods. Cookies, cakes and brownies – even if made with dark chocolate – will weigh you down with more calories, blood sugar-raising carbs and unhealthful saturated fats than we can really justify for more than just a now and then indulgence. Frosted cupcakes provide several hundred calories, but 6 or so chocolate-covered almonds (my fave) give us just about 150 calories. Plus, the research suggests that dark chocolate candy might be good for us. There’s no research to suggest that cookies and cakes boost health.
  6. Stop feeling guilty. What’s the point of eating something if it makes you feel guilty or regretful? A little bit of deliciousness is nothing to feel guilty about anyway – even if it’s total junk like a cream-filled donut. Just stick to small portions and balance the rest of your diet with wholesome foods. Sit down, pay attention to your food and love the living daylights out of it. Good advice, no matter what you’re eating.

Bottom line: It’s okay to enjoy small portions of dark chocolate. But don’t expect magical powers from it. Your total diet matters.

Do you have a favorite way to eat dark chocolate?

Jill-Weisenberger_about-image-2
Jill Weisenberger

I'm Jill, and I believe simple changes in your mindset and health habits can bring life-changing rewards. And I don't believe in willpower. It's waaaay overrated. As a food-loving registered dietitian nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist and certified health and wellness coach, I've helped thousands of people solve their food and nutrition problems. If you're looking for a better way to master this whole healthy eating/healthy living thing or if you're trying to prevent or manage diabetes or heart problems, you'll find plenty of resources right here.

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6 Comments

  1. Tommy on September 7, 2017 at 5:24 pm

    Thanks Jill, this is a good post. I’m not personally that fond of chocolate, but I really like the idea of trying to work something working to fit something that isn’t necessarily healthy into an improved diet.

    I tend to think we fail at improving overall nutrition/diet by trying to do everything ‘right’ from the word go. I like a more gradual approach, and small improvements. Trying to find healthier ways to eat chocolate is a great idea.

    • Jill Weisenberger on September 9, 2017 at 2:20 pm

      Thanks for your comments Tommy. I agree that radically changing the diet and relying on willpower instead of strategies and skills are big and common mistakes. Gradual is the way to go.

  2. Shalini on September 15, 2017 at 2:25 am

    This is a really nice post, Jill!! I love chocolate too. My favorite way to have dark chocolate is Chocolate Milk Shake with some dry fruits in it 🙂

    • Jill Weisenberger on September 15, 2017 at 8:29 am

      That sounds yummy! I’ve never tried that. I prefer my chocolate in ways that I can eat it slowly and savor every bite or sip. Sounds like something worth trying.

  3. Darrien Hansen on December 12, 2019 at 10:06 am

    I didn’t know that eating chocolate allows you to lower your blood pressure. My sister recently got out of the hospital after experiencing some heart complications last week, and I would like to surprise her with a gift that will not take a toll on her heart’s health. Maybe giving her chocolate will be a kind gesture as well as a healthy way to lower her blood pressure.

    • Jill Weisenberger on December 12, 2019 at 11:57 am

      Some research does suggest that dark chocolate with lots of flavanoids can help lower blood pressure a small amount. It’s certainly no cure though, so don’t get carried away!

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Hi there! I'm Jill, a nutrition & diabetes expert and the author of 4 books.

Jill Weisenberger

I believe simple changes in health habits can bring you life-changing rewards.

And I believe willpower is way overrated.

Right here is where you can discover the mindset and habits to stick with healthy lifestyle choices most of the time - and drop the guilt when you don't.

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