How much chocolate can we eat per day?

Is it reasonable to be addicted to chocolate or to succumb easily? Dietitian tells us all her truth about chocolate, and above all: does it really make you fat?

Symbol of absolute greed, chocolate is also known for its therapeutic virtues. It is said to be good for the heart, stress, cardiovascular problems, and morale! Unfortunately, he is also known to make us gain pounds. But don't panic! Contrary to popular belief, who says "pleasure" does not necessarily say "get fat". Yes, chocolate does not have a great influence on our weight, provided you taste it correctly! 

So how do you eat this wonder while avoiding the extra pounds? Katia Tardieu, a member of the French Association of Dietitians Nutritionists (AFDN), reveals to us all that we have always wanted to know about chocolate 

Dark chocolate

Does chocolate really make you fat?

Dietitian: Yes and no! In fact, I would say that it all depends on the amount we eat. The best is to eat 30 grams for each day, which is proportionate to 3 standard tiles (150 calories).

In fact, better avoid completely depriving yourself of it, because chocolate is a food that pleases, and if you deprive yourself of it, it causes frustration. Which can lead to other food overflows.

It additionally relies upon the kind of chocolate, isn't that so?

Dietitian: No because from a nutritional point of view, that is to say, the carbohydrate and lipid intake, all chocolates have, more or less, the same caloric intake: between 500 and 550 calories per 100 grams. This corresponds to a quarter of the recommended daily allowance for women, a full meal! All chocolates are in this way practically indistinguishable as far as calories.

So what are their differences?

Dietitian: Dark chocolate is richer in fat than other chocolates, but it is less rich in sugar. Its advantage: it contains a lot of magnesium and especially cocoa in large quantities. Milk chocolate, then again, contains half as much magnesium as dark chocolate. According to some studies, the milk it contains inhibits the beneficial effects of polyphenols, a cocoa molecule. 

Unlike dark chocolate, in white chocolate, there are a lot of sugars but very little fat. Be careful though, because this chocolate does not contain cocoa at all! For filled chocolates, it is identical, because the addition of sugar will cause less fat and vice versa.

What should you look for on the label?

Dietitian: When looking for good quality chocolate bars, which allow you to enjoy the benefits of cocoa at best, you have to look at the list of ingredients, and of course the cocoa content! Cocoa mass should always come first in the list of ingredients. Then prefer cane sugar, which is richer in minerals.

For fat, cocoa butter is essential. However, it is not uncommon to find palm oil in tablets, even from major brands! Soy lecithin may also be included in the list of ingredients. But if the cocoa is of very good quality it will not appear, because useless: as much to avoid it!

What are the virtues of good quality cocoa?

Dietitian: Cocoa is really recognized as a good antioxidant and for improving cardiovascular problems. It is also credited with antidepressant characteristics! So on the off chance that you devour chocolate for its therapeutic properties, don't accept white chocolate: it doesn't contain cocoa.

So chocolate is good for your health!

Dietitian: I would rather say that it is not bad! Until there are really comprehensive studies on the benefits of chocolate, I can't say for sure. And if I say that chocolate is good for people, people will be aware of eating it. Be careful with open doors! On the other hand, it has been proven that chocolate gives pleasure, which is very good for the energy balance.

Is it true that eating what pleases us makes you lose weight?

Dietitian: To say that it makes you lose weight directly, no. But eating chocolate makes it possible to avoid being frustrated, to be impulsive: this brings about the regulation of eating behavior and therefore does not lead to weight gain.

In case you're truly dependent on chocolate, what would you be able to do?

Dietitian: The main thing is to moderate your consumption of chocolate. So I recommend eating chocolate in the morning. Because it's like a drug for some! Taking "your dose" in the morning, therefore, allows you to regulate your consumption during the day. At breakfast, replacing the jam with two squares of chocolate may be a solution.

Otherwise, instead of chocolate, I can advise you to drink real cocoa. The problem is that some people react very compulsively, the solution could be to buy only individual squares of chocolate, so as not to succumb to the temptation to eat a whole tablet!

And if in spite of everything, we can't help devouring chocolate, is it serious to gain weight while having fun?

Dietitian: No obviously! The most important thing is to respect your dietary balance. Eating a bar of chocolate is equivalent to a meal! So we can allow ourselves to replace a meal with chocolate once a week, but we absolutely must not do it too often, so as not to jeopardize our nutritional balance.

Finally, is chocolate really an aphrodisiac?

I think the only pleasure that chocolate brings is that of eating it, the pleasure of consumption. This legend dates from the time of the Aztecs, and at the time I do not think that serious studies were carried out on this subject! But I know that they prepared their cocoa with a lot of spices and especially with chili, which can make hot ...