Is it okay to eat chocolate if you have diabetes?

When you have diabetes, you tend to think twice about all the foods you enjoy eating. One food that often gets a bad rap from people with diabetes is chocolate. In truth, though, chocolate can be enjoyed as part of a healthful diet for people with diabetes — but moderation is key. That’s because chocolate contains certain sugars that can affect your blood sugar levels in the short term (and probably long term as well). However, this doesn’t mean that you should cut chocolate out of your diet completely.

Chocolate Can Be Part of a Healthful Diet

Chocolate can be enjoyed as part of a healthful diet for people with diabetes. However, some guidelines should be followed to prevent any serious health complications that may arise from eating too much chocolate

Chocolate Has Health Benefits and Risks

While dark chocolate can be part of a healthful diet for people with diabetes, it contains sugar and fat—which means that it also has calories. The important thing is to consume less than one serving of dark chocolate per day (about 1.5 ounces). Chocolate’s health benefits include helping your heart, reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease, and boosting your mood! Its risks include increased blood pressure, weight gain and tooth decay.

Tips for Buying, Storing and Enjoying Chocolate

A good rule of thumb for people with diabetes is to enjoy one serving of chocolate, ideally eaten alone or not with other foods. The typical portion size is 1 ounce of hard candy, 2 squares (1 ounce) of dark chocolate, and 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder.

Special Considerations When Cooking With Chocolate

Though there are no additional precautions to take when preparing food with chocolate, diabetics should keep in mind that darker chocolates typically contain more sugar and fat than milk or white chocolates. Diabetics may want to stick with dark chocolate that is 60 per cent cacao or less. Darker varieties still contain some antioxidants, which can potentially help lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels. Always check nutrition labels before adding a product containing sugar-free chocolate chips into your recipe.

How Much Chocolate Can I Eat?

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that adults with type 2 diabetes consume no more than 100 grams of carbohydrates per day. Carbohydrates are broken down into two main subgroups: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates include things like sugary foods and beverages, such as cookies, cakes, and ice cream. Complex carbohydrates are found in high-fibre foods like whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, potatoes, pasta and some cereals—anything that has a lot of fibre or is made from whole grains. Dark chocolate is considered a complex carbohydrate by nutritionists because of its high levels of fibre and fat content.

What Type of Chocolate Should I Choose?

Not all chocolates are created equal, and some will be better for your blood sugar levels than others. Choose at least 60% cocoa content dark chocolate for a healthful sweet treat. Be wary of chocolate-flavoured candies that can contain unhealthy ingredients such as trans fats or excessive sugar. And avoid eating too much sugar with any type of chocolate! On average, one ounce of dark chocolate contains only 13 grams of sugar (or about three teaspoons), so keep portion sizes in mind. Here are more tips on how to choose healthy chocolates.

Savouring the Taste in Moderation

While eating dark chocolate has been shown to help lower blood pressure and bad LDL cholesterol, that doesn’t mean you should fill your freezer with Hershey bars. To reap these benefits without causing high blood sugar or weight gain, experts recommend limiting the daily intake of dark chocolate or unsweetened cocoa powder to 5 grams per day (about one-third of a typical 1.5-ounce bar). Make sure any treats also fit into your meal plan: For instance, choose dark chocolate with nuts and dried fruit instead of something that’s solely decadent. Moderation can be your friend—as long as it’s still only an occasional treat!

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