What is it about chocolate that make it so irresistible? We eat for any reason; as a treat to reward ourselves, to lift us when we are down or in our favourite desserts. It ticks al the boxes, but we also know that we shouldn’t eat the amount that we do, unless it was healthy chocolate of course.

And the good new is that there is a healthy chocolate out there. There are many good things in chocolate such as vitamins and minerals, so what is it that makes it generally so unhealthy?

The thing is we mess about with our chocolate something rotten. We get the basic product then add loads of other stuff to it, such as extra butter, sugar, milk solids etc which enhance the flavor but make it very fattening. Dark chocolate, however, doesn’t have any of these added, but there is one more thing to think about.

This is a very strange fact; our body doesn’t see chocolate as a food. It’s just a carrier to bring all the sugars etc into our body which we them hang on to, dispelling the good stuff like the minerals without getting any benefit from them.

It’s a little known fact that dark chocolate has a very high iron content; so a perfect complement is food such a blueberries which are rich in vitamin C. This balances the nutrition and makes sure that your body absorbs the iron from the chocolate properly, and tastes delicious at the same time.

But if you take in other stuff such as fruit or nuts at the same time it will then treat the chocolate as food and you will then get the benefits.

When I worked as a chocolatier I regularly consumed dark chocolate with all manner of fruits; in particular berries and nuts. A blood test showed that my levels of vitamins and minerals were perfect and I didn’t gain any weight.

So you now know which chocolate to eat if you can’t do without it. Forget the fat laden milk chocolate bars and reach for a dark chocolate with fruit and nuts and enjoy your treat without the guilt.

One last thing, just because you know it’s healthier doesn’t mean you can pig out, be sensible!

Besides nutrition, this writer additionally regularly publishes information on metal roof material and metal roofing manufacturers.