You Ask, I Answer: Chocolate

What do you suggest to replace chocolate?

-- Anonymous (via the blog)

That's a hard question, mainly because "replacing" chocolate is an almost impossible task.

If chocolate is on your mind, there isn't much that can take its place.

Additionally, I don't think something as delicious as chocolate should be seen as an "evil" that needs to be replaced.

A better question is, "how can I enjoy chocolate when I have a craving without overdoing the calories?"

Here are some suggestions.

Incorporate small amounts of chocolate into a healthier snack. For example, make your own trail mix consisting of walnuts (the nut highest in Omega-3 fats), raisins, sunflower seeds, and half a handful of chocolate chips or M&M's.

Tantalize your tastebuds with more intense flavors. A few bites of a darker chocolate (70 or 85% cocoa) will satisfy your craving more quickly than milk chocolate.

If a chocolate craving hits you at the checkout line or an airport newsstand (where candy surrounds you), opt for the smallest varieties. Unless you have exemplary self-control, you know you will eat the entire contents of what you buy. A King-Size Crunch bar, for example, has 200 more calories than the standard variety -- that's literally twice as much!

Don't attempt to ignore your chocolate craving by munching on carrot sticks instead. You won't enjoy the carrot sticks, you'll start thinking of healthy food as "punishment", and you'll still be craving chocolate.

Don't fall for the "low-carb" or "sugar-free" trap. Many people think that sugar-free varieties of popular chocolates like Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups or Hershey Nuggets -- intended for people living with diabetes -- are a "diet food". Far from it! On average, the sugar-free versions offer only 30 less calories per serving than the regular products and just as much -- sometimes more -- saturated fat.