Praline, dark, milk, with liquor… Which chocolate is better to eat on a diet?

They take pride of place at the end of a meal or under the tree in a variety of ways, and there’s something for everyone. Chocolate, a staple of year-end celebrations, always delights our taste buds. Some appreciate the raw version, the famous little black square 75% cacao, others the milk version or even the ones filled with praline or sometimes liqueur. If they all bring pleasure to the eater, do they have the same nutritional composition? The same effect on the body. Should we favor one option over another? Some answers with dietitian nutritionist Florence Torres.

Almost no nutritional benefit

In order to distinguish better, first you need to study their composition under a magnifying glass. In practice, chocolate contains a mixture of cocoa mass (at least 35%), cocoa butter (at least 18%) and sugar. The proportion of these components varies from variation to variation. Dark chocolate is the one that offers the highest cocoa content (up to 100% depending on the reference). The further we get away from it, the more inclined we are to the milk version, which contains 25 to 40%. White chocolate, on the contrary, does not contain cocoa mass, only cocoa butter. Other ingredients can be added to give them a special taste. This applies to chocolates enriched with neutral spirit liqueur or praline (based on roasted and chopped almonds and/or hazelnuts).

This reminder is made if you are looking for any nutritional benefit in the use of these products, know that there is none or almost none, immediately informs nutritionist Florence Torres. “The cocoa content of chocolate, regardless of its taste, provides magnesium, but very weakly. You have to eat it in very large quantities to really benefit from it, which will be harmful to the body because this food is also very fatty and very sweet,” he explains.

And in terms of calories? “All versions of chocolate at this level are equal and contain approximately the same amount of calories,” says the specialist. For example, count 591 kcal for 100 g of dark chocolate, 537 kcal for the milk version, according to the Ciqual table of the National Agency for Food, Environment and Health Safety (Anses).

A taste delight that can be consumed in moderation

Florence Torres appeases gourmands. these products, however, should not be demonized. “Chocolate consumption should remain primarily a taste pleasure associated with a balanced diet,” he insists. If this is your goal, you should first look at the cocoa content to see which flavor you like best.

When the choice is made, it is better to choose artificial chocolate box, advises the dietitian nutritionist. “If it is designed by an artisan chocolatier, it guarantees us a product free of additives and vegetable fats, rich in saturated fatty acids, such as palm oil, which is as bad for the body as it is for the environment,” he emphasizes.

However, whether artisanal or not, chocolate should not be overused. It poses a threat to our weight, our digestive system and our cardiovascular health. Realizing, the dietitian nutritionist calls for moderation and instead suggests consuming a maximum of 2 servings per day during the holidays.

Tips for curbing excesses

If you find it difficult to stop after starting the second chocolate, then the specialist advises to prefer the dark version. “The cocoa richness of dark chocolate gives it a certain bitterness, the taste of which satiates us more quickly on a sensory level, which can curb our cravings, more so than milk chocolate, which is sweeter and softer in the mouth,” explains Florence. Torez.

You can also moderate your consumption by turning to healthier alternatives. Cold weather demands, Florence Torres invites sweet tooths to finish their meal with a hot aromatic drink, tea or herbal tea with spices or fruit, comforting and guaranteed without calories.