Smart Shopping for Chocolate Diet Foods

To the delight of chocolate lovers, there are actually a few diet plans based on chocolate or cocoa. Some chocolate diets are planned around healthy foods with a heavy reliance on chocolate snacks, some use cocoa powder to produce health benefits and weight loss, and there is even a diet for chocoholics to break their addiction.
While there is no evidence that chocolate or chocolate products will help you lose weight or burn fat, you can include chocolate in a healthy diet plan. While most chocolate products are high in fat and quite decadent, chocolate and cocoa also contain healthy nutrients and phytochemicals. Chocolate and cocoa are derived from the cocoa bean and contain some of the healthy compounds found in many other plant foods such as fruits, vegetables and beans. Eating chocolate and cocoa have even been linked to healthy immune function and cardiovascular benefits.

What to Look for

As with any diet program, look for a chocolate diet plan that is based on a variety of foods, doesn't restrict whole food groups, and can be followed without too many changes to your daily eating routine. There is no reason to restrict modest amounts chocolate or cocoa from a healthy diet or even a weight loss diet.
One popular chocolate diet plan includes pasta and popcorn as diet staples in addition to one ounce of chocolate per day. Choose whole wheat pasta and noodles for extra fiber and nutrition. When it comes to popcorn, try popping fresh popcorn at home instead of using bagged pre-popped popcorn or microwave popcorn. These processed forms of popcorn often have additives, preservatives and extra fat and salt.
If you choose a chocolate diet plan that incorporates chocolate several times per day or even once per day, it's important to choose the right type of chocolate. Dark chocolate is a better choice than milk chocolate because it has more cocoa solids which contain the healthy nutrients. Most dark chocolate bars list the percentage of cocoa solids on the label. The higher, the better.
A good alternative to chocolate is cocoa, which is made from the non-fat portion of the cocoa bean and contains fewer calories and more nutrients. Choose a cocoa powder that is not processed with alkali (read the label). Two tablespoons of cocoa, about enough for one serving of hot cocoa, contains about 40 calories.
There are even chocolate products which claim to be heart healthy. These products are either cocoa drinks, bars and candies with high levels of flavonols or chocolate bars with flavonols plus sterol compounds to help lower cholesterol.

Common Pitfalls

Portion control may be the biggest hurdle when adding chocolate to your daily diet. If you are trying to lose weight, be aware that chocolate is very calorie dense due to its content of fat and sugar. One ounce of chocolate contains about 150 calories. A typical Hershey bar is about one and half ounces.
Another tip is to stick to real chocolate or cocoa. Many foods are flavored with chocolate or cocoa but do not contain much real chocolate. Candy bars that are coated with chocolate contain less total chocolate and cocoa than a pure dark chocolate bar.
The popular chocolate diet recommends that you avoid certain food groups such as red meat, dairy products, nuts and seeds. These food groups contain important nutrients like iron, calcium and healthy fats. Be sure you speak with a health professional about your total diet before eliminating entire food groups from your diet.