Low-Calorie Chocolate Recipes That Will Satisfy Your Cocoa Cravings

Chocolate cravings can be intense, but depriving yourself can sometimes make things worse. Instead of feeling out of control, try one of the six low-calorie recipes below that won’t wreck your healthy diet. The best part? These cocoa-based recipes are sure to satisfy your tastebuds without leaving you feeling deprived. Video of the Day "Cravings are complex, but most theories focus on two factors: Habit formation and the reward circuitry in our brain," says Samantha Cassetty , RD, nutrition and weight-loss expert. For example, if you always eat chocolate on your birthday or you read about chocolate cravings during your period, you’ll likely form a mental association between those things. While this association can be strong, it’s not impossible to break. "In general, we crave chocolate because it tastes good and makes you feel good," says Jackie Newgent , RDN, culinary nutritionist and author of The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook . When you eat chocolate, your brain releases "feel good" chemicals called neurotransmitters . "There’s not just one component of chocolate that makes it crave-worthy; it’s everything about it, including sugar, fat, cocoa compounds and mouth-feel," she says. Since the amount of carbohydrates (especially sugar) and fats in today’s packaged foods is way more than what nature originally provided (with the exception of breastmilk), foods with this makeup can signal reward circuitry in our brain that makes these foods more desirable, even if you’re just "meh" about chocolate, Cassety says. Are there real benefits to eating chocolate? Newgent says yes, especially when not transformed into overly sugary candy bar. "A daily, one-ounce piece of bittersweet chocolate can easily fit within most healthy eating plans," she says. And since a higher percentage of cacao (cocoa) generally means a higher amount of flavanols, Newgent’s recommendation is "the bitterer the better," or eating […]

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