Holiday Chocolate Coping!

  • So, we've just done Thanksgiving, and are now bouncing along into Christmas. Regardless of our personal religious beliefs, most of us are still offered all the holidays goodies that are so plentiful this time of year. And I admit, I am a major chocolohic. I love holiday fudge, chocolate dipped cookies, red and green M&M's!

    So, anyone have any good ways to nip a raging chocobinge in the bud? Right now I'm trying a concoction I've dreamed up that consists of FF cream cheese, dutch cocoa powder, splenda, vanilla flavoring, and a bit of salt for what was supposed to be fat-free, sugar-free "fudge" but is instead shaping up to be more goo than anything (which is fine, as long as it does taste like chocolate I can lick it off my fingers!).

    Love to hear some more ideas!
  • I'd love to make your chocolate goo but I'd eat nine servings of it. I finally had to admit that I can't eat reasonable amounts of chocolate; in the bad old days I pretty much lived on bags of hershey's kisses. The only chocolate I can control is my once a week treat of non-fat frozen yogurt.

    Unfortunately my holiday treats will be controlled by the old adage, "It's easier to say no to the first cookie than the second."

    I do envy people who can do the moderation thing but I just can't pull it off when it comes to chocolate.
  • Robin - I admire you for realizing what isn't possible for you. I am one of those people who can pull off moderation, usually, for most foods (exceptions are: chocolate frosting, nuts of any variety, and rice krispie treats made with cocoa pebbles instead of rice krispies). Tealeaf - can you do moderation with chocolate, or is it a no-no? If you can't do moderate, can you plan a chocolate treat each day that can be purchased in a single serving? A Lindt truffle (60 cals, they sell them at Borders and some other places), some fat free chocolate frozen yogurt for dessert like Robin does, whatever. If you have a chocolate treat planned, it might be easier to turn down the unplanned ones because you'll have some chocolate ahead of you, but you won't have to worry about having too much of your single portion.

    If you CAN do moderation, plan in some chocolate. Maybe one square of fudge at work for a snack, or a serving of M&Ms for dessert. Are they the most nutritious possible choices? No. But they WILL allow you to stay on the right calorie-counting path without having to dodge chocolate everywhere you go.
  • I can't stop once I start, so I am just continuing my "no" to everything candy-related for the holiday. I'm not a total grinch though, I am definitely planning to have a piece of pie for Christmas! Not to mention, my mom's home-made sweet potatoes with tons of butter and pecan/brownsugar topping.
  • I buy my own chocolate, dark chocolate. Really, 50-100 calories of it does me good. I avoid eating, baking and sometimes even looking at sweets
  • It's a tradition in our family to have a wee bit of chocolate in our stockings, so this year we looked for those small single packages of chocolate stuff (ie DH likes those small bags of chocolate balls). You can also now get 'single serving' chocolate cashews or cranberries, dark chocolate, yogurt nuts, and many other things. It is very possible to treat yourself without going over-board now!

    For everything else, we just won't have it in our home; and there will be no goody baking for me this year ... ROSEBUD
  • Quote: I buy my own chocolate, dark chocolate. Really, 50-100 calories of it does me good. I avoid eating, baking and sometimes even looking at sweets
    Ditto here. The breakroom at work is FILLED with wonderful treats sent by caring community members to reward us dedicated public servants this time of year. It is my OBLIGATION to thank them by eating the wonderful treats that they so thoughtfully provided - NOT!!!!!!

    I keep 70% dark chocolate readily available. I only indulge a couple times a week for about 50 calories at a time. It is a wonderful thing - and knowing that I can have the "really GOOD stuff" at home, keeps me away from all of the sugary concoctions at work.
  • Just to echo others, if you can control yourself and only have one serving of whatever chocolate sweet you choose, then I'd suggest the Lindt 70% Dark Chocolate mini-squares. I think there's 7 in a serving for 210 calories, but I usually only eat one or two, at 30 cals a piece. Since it's so dark and rich, I don't want a whole boatload of it like I might if it were something else.

    I also discovered Vitabrownies by Vitalicious... they're 100 calories a piece, have tons of vitamins in them and pack 6 grams of fiber. In my grocery store they're in the frozen goods section with all of the organic and vegetarian meals/desserts. They're also decently sized... those might be dangerous for some people though.
  • I can't remember the exact calorie count, but I know it's right around 100 for half a cup. Try mixing up some chocolate pudding mix (sugar free fat free) with lite CoolWhip. Given a little bit of time, it will actually set up thick like mousse. I add a little bit of cocoa powder to cut the overly sweet taste, and make it taste a little more like proper chocolate mousse.
    It's what I use for chocolate mousse filling when I bake and it always goes over well. And they don't even know how low calorie it is
  • A yummy chocolate trick...
    ~ A Healthier Cocoa Choice ~
    (I posted this under FoodTalk)

    Believe it or not, to satisfy a real chocolate craving, it doesn't have to be fattening. These days chocolate is in rennaisance! There are hoards of recipes for cocoa drinks which are not even sweet, but savory and herbed, many even spicy peppery hot ! Well, let me tell you this, if you buy unsweetened cocoa, you have a very versatile ingredient. The quality of the cocoa really makes a difference, but there's a big difference in price as well, so whatever you can afford.

    Here's my recipe for a cocoa paste you can keep in the fridge and whip into a hot or cold drink anytime you have a craving for chocolate :

    In small jar, measure desired amount of unsweetened cocoa, and add just enough sugar to make it palatable, and (suggestion might be, to a 1/4 cup cocoa, add 1 to 2 Tblsp sugar, or honey, or maple syrup (or why not sugar substitute?) -- and drizzle just enough really hot water over it to make a thick pasty syrup. Adjust sweetener if too bitter, but keep it as bitter as you can stand, because you will be training your tastebuds to taste the chocolate, and not the sugar.

    Now, from this jar you can take a spoonful as a base for hot chocolate made by pouring boiling water over it, and top it off with milk (like one does with coffee)....or.... stir a spoonful into nonfat/lowfat milk, hot or cold...or into your coffee for a mocha. Voila!

    This can't be half bad, goes a long way as far as satisfying chocolate cravings. You might love it so much you'll be needing to make larger batches.

    Note: I have found this paste doesn't last too awfully long in the fridge, probably because of the low sugar content, so watch it past a week, or just make up some more.
  • Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. That chocolate mousse idea sounds very good, as do those 100 calories brownies! But you are right about the dangerous part. I am one of those that cannot be moderate with the stuff. If there is anything chocolate around, I'll scarf the whole bag/box/whatever in a day or two. I've tried Lindt and it is very good, but it just doesn't last long around me. I do manage to be moderate with diet hot chocolate, but the thing with that is I'm drinking it. And I want to *eat* chocolate.


    Maybe the chocolate paste thing would work for me. My chocolate goo might also be working. It does have chocolate flavor, but I don't really like ff cream cheese at all, stuff tastes like plastic to me, and the goo suffers as a result. I might try again with low fat cream cheese.
  • I do a few things to help around the holidays.

    When I go to gatherings:

    ~I bring a lower calorie dessert, so I can have something but know the calorie count ahead of time.

    ~I take a mini-size candy cane in my purse. The ones that I have are around 20-25 calories each, and I take my time and suck on them. They are festive, so people don't ask you why you aren't having sweets/dessert.

    ~Flavored coffee and tea. I take a teabag in my purse to dinners, etc. as well-something like Caramel Almond tea, etc. to keep my hands and mouth busy when everyone is munching.

    When I am at home:

    ~I buy really dark chocolate-65-70% in the little squares. As was stated above, they are only around 30-60 calories each, depending on the brand/size. I can eat an entire cheap Hershey bar...but a small piece of dark Ghiradelli or something I let melt (don't chew) and really savor it-with a cup of hot tea or something.

    ~Nonni's chocolate biscotti. 100 calories each, with a cup of coffee. They are decadent, and I eat it slow, between sips of coffee. They are richer, and more flavorful than a 100 Calorie Pack or something like that...