Women LOVE chocolate. And I love chocolate. Not just milk chocolate or dark chocolate, but almost ALL things chocolate.
If I were to give in to that chocolate craving every time it hit, I would be as big as the side of a barn. Although some days I feel as though I am close to that!
What I have tried to do is come up with some reasonable chocolate items that I can have occasion and it won’t break the calorie bank. Below are 10 of my favorite:
1. Chocolate skim milk- I have always loved Nestle’s Quik! And as I have gotten older, I have decreased the amount of powder I put in a cup of milk. This is a great one as it has ZERO fat in it.
2. Tootsie Rolls- I have a love-hate relationship with Tootsie Rolls. They do help reduce my craving, but I don’t LOVE them. I keep them on hand to have 2 or 3 and a cup of skim milk when I am dying for something sweet and chocolate.
3. Betty Crocker Lowfat Brownies- I have to be very careful when I make brownies. I love them and could eat the whole pan within a day. Kinda defeats the whole lowfat thing.
When I do make them, I eat one or two, and then bag the rest in individual serving sizes in a little plastic snack bag. And put straight into the freezer. This has worked for me several times, and I only ate one per day! (about 160 calories) Much better alternative than the Mug Brownie calorie-wise!
4. Hershey’s Kisses- Try the new Air Delight Aerated Kisses. They taste yummy, and half about half the calories. (about 10 calories per Kiss)
5. Fudgsicles- There are many different brands and types of these, and are very creamy and chocolately and most are less than 100 calories. And the half-size pops are usually 45 calories.
6. Believe it or not, a Snickers bar and a protein bar/meal replacement bar (not the MEGA protein bars) have comparable nutritional data. If I need to grab something FAST to tie me over til dinner, a Snickers bar can do the trick (the peanuts add protein). And if you are eating a relatively healthy diet, a 280 calorie bar ON OCCASION in the afternoon, will not hurt. I would not, however, recommend eating one as a bedtime snack. 
7. Granola bars- Quaker and many other brands make a 100 calorie granola bar with chocolate chips in them!
8. Jello Pudding cups- They have chocolate and many other variations in flavors.
9. Chocolate covered strawberries- Strawberries are coming into season. Melt a half a chocolate bar and dip strawberries in. I prefer cold chocolate, so I put in the fridge for a few minutes to cool before eating.
10. I fell in love with Chocolate Teddy Grahams when my kids were younger and will on occasion buy them. The only way this works however, is if just like the brownies, I package up right away into serving sizes! Perfect with a glass of skim milk!
I think one of the KEY points in eating chocolate and satisfying that craving is MODERATION.
What is your favorite chocolate treat?
Great post, and great ideas. I’m like you, can’t really get through the day (or even the morning) without at least a hint of chocolate; some of my ‘lighter’ solutions recently have been Trader Joe’s Truffles (each one has 50 calories) and Junior Mints (10 calories each)~really good frozen.
You might also check out Chocolate Covered Katie–she has lots of healthy chocolate fixes, and many of them are single serving sizes! http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/