Everyone has a food weakness. Mine just happens to be anything chocolate related. Chocolate chip cookies, chocolate bars, chocolate milk, chocolate ice cream, chocolate fudge… The list can go on forever.
Gif courtesy of tumblr.com
Despite being such an avid chocoholic, I, along with most of the college population, am trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Such a healthy lifestyle definitely doesn’t consist of binging on a whole quart of ice cream as I binge watch my favorite shows on Netflix.
Being a chocoholic is rough especially since there is always endless posts and promos dedicated to delicious chocolate treats (especially on the #spoonfeed). Unfortunately, we will have to avert our needy eyes away from all these advertisements because if we don’t, we’ll just have to kiss our healthy lifestyles goodbye.
Not to worry chocoholics, here are some tips to maintain your healthy lifestyle and stick to your chocoholic ways:
Moderation is key
Gif courtesy of tumblr.com
If you want that chocolate cheesecake or that Ghirardelli chocolate frozen yogurt at Hiro’s, then get a couple of chocolate toppings with it that won’t break the scale when you go to pay. It’s understandable that it’s hard to control yourself when you’re a chocoholic, but moderation is key if you want to stick to your healthy habits.
Want a cookie? Eat one cookie (maybe even two because you deserve it from time to time), but don’t eat the whole box.
Find your chocoholic love in dark chocolate
Photo by Rachel Livengood
Dark chocolate is filled with healthy benefits such as flavonoid, which maintains cardiovascular health and lowers the risk of cancer. Antioxidants are another health benefit, which are important for strong immune systems and associated with premature aging. Dark chocolate is rich in high cocoa concentration and doesn’t have as much sugar as one might find in typical white and milk chocolate.
Stay away from white chocolate
Photo courtesy of themondaybox.com
As sad as this sounds, white chocolate is technically not even chocolate since it contains no cocoa at all. According to Livestrong, the basic ingredients for white chocolate are sugar, cocoa butter, milk, soy lecithin, and natural or artificial flavors. The lack of natural cocoa in white chocolate results in white chocolate being loaded with added sugar and saturated fat (a big no go).
Find healthy recipes with chocolate in them
Photo courtesy of pinterest.com
When you pair a little bit of chocolate with something healthy, your craving will instantly be satisfied and you’ll be able to enjoy some delicious chocolate while not binge eating a whole bag of fun-size Twix. Some healthy recipes you can make include: dark chocolate avocado truffles, whole wheat chocolate chip banana bread muffins, and a crowd favorite, chocolate covered strawberries.
Treat yo’self
Gif courtesy of theodyseeyonline.com
If you eat healthy all the time, one bad treat won’t hurt you. Rachel Beller, author of Eat to Lose, Eat to Win, encourages a “food vacay.” One healthy meal won’t transform you into a thinner person just like one bad meal won’t make you gain a bunch of weight. If you have been maintaining a good diet, then treat yourself occasionally. You deserve it.