Subscribe8 Ways to Beat Chocolate Cravings
Here's eight ways to beat those chocolate cravings:
- Go for a walk.
As soon as you're out of the door, you're away from the chocolate. After a brisk half-hour walk, you'll be energized and ready to resist the sweet stuff. - Eat "anti-chocolate".
Some foods just aren't compatible with chocolate. Eat a pickled onion. Suck an aniseed ball. They both have such strong, distinct, tastes that you won't want chocolate afterwards. - Do something with your hands.
Try some form of craft (cross stitching and paper crafts work for me). Or play a video game, write a letter or email... anything to distract you, and which keeps your hands occupied. - Bin it.
This is a powerful message to yourself, especially if, like me, you're of the waste-not-want-not school: throw the chocolate in the trash. Is it really more wasted there than it would be as extra pounds of fat on you? - Clean your teeth or chew gum.
For me, brushing my teeth is a psychological cue that I'm not going to eat anything else. Gum will stop you eating while you're chewing it: this also helps if you're prone to picking at food when cooking. - Put it somewhere inaccessible.
Stand on a chair, and shove the chocolates right in the back of a high cupboard. It'll require much more effort to get them out again - enough to make you think twice. - Have something small.
Sometimes, a taste of chocolate can help take away the urge to scoff a whole family-sized bar. Try one of the following (all take a little while to consume, which also helps).- Mug of light hot chocolate
- Low-fat chocolate mousse
- Chocolate flavored popcorn
- Set a time limit.
If you still want chocolate in an hour, you can have some. Most cravings don't last more than 20-30 minutes: chances are, you'll have forgotten about the chocolate once the time's up.
What do you do when you "must" have chocolate? Do you have any good tips on coping with cravings? Or are you one of those lucky people who "doesn't have much of a sweet tooth"?
More like this in Food · Mar 19, 2008
Good tips really (: I've noticed that chocomousse works for me,though i never crave chocolate,only something sweet. this mousse really helps out,'cause it's very light in calories and it's foam,so you feel full soon. here's my recipe:
Reply0.5 dl totally fat free milk
1 tbs splenda
drop of vanilla extract
2 tbs sugarfree cocoapowder
make the cold milk into foam with machine (it'll be thick mousse when you just foam long enough). toss other ingredients in.
Good tips. I like the toothpaste one, that works for me. The thing is remembering to walk away and do it when you're tempted!
I've got another tip - give the chocolate away. If it's tempting you and eating it will make you feel guilty, you don't need it. Maybe save one thing and then give the rest to a lean male friend/partner (you know the types!) or take it in to work where it will disappear in no time!
ReplyI realize that resisting the temptation and disposing of the chocolate would make you feel proud of yourself as it should. But tell how could you feel good about promoting ill health on others by giving it to them? The garbage would be the best place for it. If it's not good for you how can it possibly be good for others?
ReplyI don't think chocolate is a bad food, provided it is real chocolate (cocoa butter, not shortening). It is a high-energy food because of all the sugar and the fat, so someone without a weight problem can eat chocolate everyday, even, without it compromising their health.
ReplyAt some point, I read that chocolate contains magnesium (amongst other things), so when you crave chocolate, you're actually craving magnesium.
I later found out that sesame seeds contain a lot of magnesium, so I started mixing in a teaspoon of sesame seeds in most main meals that I cook such as stir-fries and risotto. They don't make any real impact on flavour unless you crush them up.
Since I started going this, I've never had a craving. Maybe it's a psychosomatic effect but it certainly works for me. Hopefully other people will find this useful.
ReplyI eat chocolate when I'm craving it -- but skip the sugary milk chocolate in the stores and by the darkest chocolate you can. A couple squares of the Lindt 99% dark chocolate with a cup of coffee and glass of wine and you will be chocolate-d out. Each square has about 10 cals since there's very little milk or sugar.
ReplyThere isn
Reply(sigh... stupid enter key)
There isn't any milk, and there's only enough sugar to make it edible.
Juuust the way I likes it. :D
ReplyI've tried 80% dark and didn't like it ... 70% is great for me though. Never even seen 99% but I'm curious now!
Ali
ReplyIf you don't like 80%, you would hate 99%. The 99% Lindt actually comes with warnings on the inside packaging in four languages about how strong the chocolate is and how you should "develop your palate" with weaker chocolates first.
ReplyI'm a fan of 85% -- but still have never found 99% - that would be pure ground-up cacao - not sure how it would stick together?
ReplyThe ingredients in 99% Lindt (you can get it in Lindt specialty chocolate stores, if you have one near you) are: Chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, sugar.
However they get it to stick together, it must be the same voodoo magic they use on baking chocolate.
ReplyWouldn't the 99% chocolate be sort of like baking chocolate? I wouldn't eat that stuff plain...ick. I DO like the 75% dark though. It's smooth and luxurious tasting and it squelches my chocolate cravings. I don't even really like the milk chocolate anymore, like I did when I was a kid. It's just too waxy for me now.
ReplyBaking is usually 70-80% only... and held together with nasty trans fat.
I prefer 50-55% myself. There is such a thing as too dark. My ideal chocolate is the dark Toblerone, which is 50%.
ReplyWhoa, really? Gross. I'll make a note for future baking to use the 99% chocolate instead of the baking chocolate. I'm sure it'd make the recipe taste a lot better.
ReplyI found a small local brand that sells bars that are around 60%, but it is all cocoa butter. Smaller bars and a bit sweeter than cooking chocolate, like the kind you are supposed to eat, but a lot better - I just adjust the recipe reducing sugar. I'll settle for a bar with butter solids for cooking if I can't find that, just as long as there is no trans fat.
I'm going to the store tomorrow to pick up a few to make some truffles to give to people on Monday (I'm a post-Easter kind of girl, not a pre-Easter one)
Reply99% is sort of like baking chocolate, except that it's actually meant for human consumption. :p It's super-concentrated chocolatey goodness. Except that if your palate isn't prepared for it, all you're going to taste is "bitter".
But if you can handle it, it melts on the roof of your mouth just like peanut butter... :D
Replythis is so great, i'm a chocoholic for sure! this helps a lot. i do have another suggestion; since i want chocolate all the time, i've gotten in the habit of buying sugar free hot cocoa. its only 60 calories and totally takes your choco-cravings away
ReplyI was buying hot cocoa for a while. Good tasting stuff, and reasonable Calories, but I didn't look too closely at the nutrition label when I first got it --- then I finally looked at the ingredients... partially hydrogenated oils... trans fats, d'oh! Only time I was more surprised was when I found out they were hiding in this one brand of dried fruits. I stopped buying it. It's just that one brand though, I'm sure.
ReplyI keep it out of my house, period.
If I want chocolate badly enough to go to the store and get it, then I can have it. Usually, I insist that I must walk to the store to get the chocolate, as well. The store is not far, but it sure is enough for me to get it out of my system if I don't really want it.
ReplyI'm with Heather, keep it out of the house. Most of the time when I eat chocolate it's actually on the way home from the grocery store.
ReplyI LOVE the idea of waiting 20 minutes. I'll give it a try today. I have a pile of chocolate chip cookies sitting in the cupboard. Taunting me.
ReplyGood luck, Greta, let us know how it goes ... be strong!
Ali
Replyseriously, If you want chocolate, just eat some!! Like everything else in life, just remember moderation!
Replytotally agree with this. Its all about moderation
ReplyTrue, moderation is best. I LOVE chocolate, but don't eat it all the time...I stick to the high percentage cocoa chocolates. That way, I can have a little and be satisfied. I found the best selection of "luxury chocolates" at chathamsfinechocolates.com
ReplyHaving a little works for me (dark chocolate esp) but I found these GREAT fudgesicles at the local market. They really calm my craving and they are tasty.
ReplyI don't keep chocolate in the house around Easter time because I'm too tempted to eat it all. Lucky for me, my husband isn't much for chocolate...his favorite Easter treat are those nasty marshmallow Peeps.
Those are some pretty good tips, actually. I'm not sure what an aniseed ball is, but I keep hard mint candy around to suck on when I get a chocolate craving. When I absolutely MUST have chocolate, I make a mug of Diet Swiss Miss hot cocoa. It's only 20 calories and it REALLY satisfies my cravings.
ReplyI find that drinking water tends to help the cravings. Sometimes you are just thirsty.
ReplyI also like putting a packet of hot chocolate in a cup of coffee. My taste buds thinks I'm having a real treat.
And then there's always the chocolate flavored hard candies. Gives you the taste of chocolate for a longer period of time, with hardly any of the calories.
If you live with someone, have them hide the chocolate and dole it out to you in reasonable portions. Decide what's reasonable before you fall under chocolate's spell.
ReplyI am a chocolate lover and have had years of bad chocolate behavior.
But for the last year, I've been having just one square of 70% (or more) chocolate after dinner with my family, every night. That one square of really good chocolate takes care of my cravings.
I still have lots of other bad eating habits, so the fact that this works just amazes me. We keep several bars of really good chocolate in our pantry, and I never break into it. I look forward to my one little square every day. I eat it slowly. I enjoy it.
It even helps me with other sweet cravings. When I'm about to give in to my sweet tooth, I remember the chocolate I'm going to have that evening, and sometimes it actually stops me.
My favorite chocolate right now is Divine.
ReplyI love Divine chocolate too. :-) Well done you for finding such a great answer to chocolate cravings! I think treats are much better when looked forward to and savoured, rather than scoffed in a moment of guilt...
Ali
ReplyHmm...when I want chocolate, usually, I eat it. I don't overeat it because if I eat more than a small amount at once, it upsets my stomach. That's really the only "craving control" I have. :-/
ReplyHi Spectra,
Try googling "aniseed ball" -- the wikipedia entry has a photo :-)
They might be a British thing (I used to buy them from the corner shop as a kid, but you can still get them in "old fashioned" type sweet shops.)
Ali
ReplyAll this talk about chocolate has me hungry for chocolate now.
ReplyLOL "Science" to the rescue!
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Science/2008/03/20/obesity_drug_may_cure_chocolate_cravings/9745/
This is not a recommendation!
ReplyI have to make 3 easter baskets for grandkids and neice. I try to wait til the last minute to buy candy, especially reeses peanut butter eggs. I love them. But when I do buy it I stick it all into the freezer until Im ready to put baskets together. I dont like frozen candy and it takes time to thaw and by then the craving is gone. I try not to put alot of candy in the easter baskets and instead put toys, DVDs, books etc. They like the toys better than the candy. Of course doing a easter basket full of toys is alot more expensive, but much healthier for the kids.
ReplyLinda
My mother STILL makes Easter baskets for us and my siblings and I are 21, 24, and 26. She also makes them for our husbands and it's really cute. She doesn't put candy in them anymore though...usually she puts a DVD in there, a couple of cute lipglosses, some nice makeup, handy little tools (for the guys), nuts, fresh fruit, sugarless gum, and sometimes a cute little stuffed animal. When we were kids, we got some candy in our baskets, but it was never a TON. I figured out later that my mom always hated having all that candy around as a temptation, lol.
ReplyMy MIL does my girls' easter baskets, and I am really bothered by the amount of candy she puts in there. It's a basket load of cheap jellybeans and milk chocolate.
If it were up to me, they'd each get one bar of really good chocolate -- which they do appreciate. They'd probably be more happy with that actually.
Just because they're kids doesn't mean all that candy is good for them, and in fact it just starts them on the cycle many of us here are trying to get over.
Replyif they dont want to eat it, they shouldn't. easy as that.
ReplyI love chocolate, and I eat too much. But I don't gain weight from it because of my metabolism. I usually get chocolate cravings when I watch a movie. When I begin to crave it, I chew a stick of Trident gum and that helps.
ReplyI say stay away from sweets if you can , my friend Rick eats 1 ounce of semi sweet dark chocolate almost every nite and is still losing weight .
ReplyOne word ... CHOCOPERFECTION the candy bar thats sugarless, healthy, low carb and low cal! pricey but worth it!!
ReplyI didn't want to eat any chocolate... before I read this!
ReplyWhat about having something that has a chocolate flavour such as a protein shake?
Reply