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Safe Snacks:
Can chocolate be low fat and still taste great?
Chocolate companies made a pretty penny on Valentine’s Day. Apart from Christmas and Easter, Valentine’s Day is one of those rare occasions where everyone is permitted to devour copious amounts of chocolate. Hey, I’m not complaining! If I were only able to eat one thing for the rest of my life, I would happily choose dark, sumptuous chocolate to ease my hunger.But unfortunately my waistline will not permit my insane chocolate-only diet. Luckily, a few lower calorie and lower fat chocolate snacks are currently on the market for incurable chocoholics who want all the taste, but with less "bad stuff.” Oh, you know I volunteered to do research for this article!
Do you wanna know what I found mouth-watering and what I should have left sittin’ on the shelf? Read on.
Thinsations Thin Crisps
I’m actually one of those crazy people who enjoy eating low-fat snacks. I absolutely love mini rice cakes (the flavoured kinds…sour cream and onion is my fave!), I regularly munch on fiber crackers (some have likened them to cardboard) and I have an abnormal fascination with applesauce. So of course I would jump at the chance to try Thinsations – a reduced calorie and lower fat version of Oreo, Chips Ahoy and Honey Maid Cinnamon cookies.
After a looong day of shopping, my stomach was starting to growl and I needed something to eat. While I was in the subway station getting ready to go home, I made a quick jaunt to a newsstand and bought a pack of Oreo Thinsations. A single serving of Thinsations is 23 grams with only 100 calories, containing zero trans fat, zero cholesterol and 2.0g or 3.0g of fat (fat content depends on the type of cookie that you get). I felt good knowing that I could snack on a chocolaty treat that wouldn’t go straight to my hips. But, more importantly, I was curious to see if it could satisfy chocolate craving.
Honestly, this ain’t the cookie for me (or for any other chocoholic). First of all, it doesn’t even look like an Oreo cookie – there’s no white icing (yes, I know that it is a low calorie snack, but shouldn’t it at least resemble the original? The box does say it’s a thin crisp, but c’mon!). The packet contained a series of brown lifeless cookies that were flat and indistinguishable from any other low fat cookie. They were very dry, they didn’t taste remotely like chocolate, and they didn’t look tempting at all.
If you are looking for a light snack with a faint chocolate taste, then this is the cookie for you.
Cadbury Thins
I’m a fan of Cadbury chocolate bars (okay, I’m a fan of most chocolate!), so I had pretty high expectations of this candy bar. It did look promising as it actually resembled a real chocolate bar.
Each bar weighs in at 18-19 grams (average sized chocolate bars can be as big as 60g) and has 100 calories. There are several flavours – Dairy Milk, Dark Chocolate, Toffee and Mint Chip. The fat content ranges from 4.5-6 grams, depending on the flavour.
I tried the Toffee (…and the Mint Chip – don’t judge me!) and mm mm, they were good!
This is a fantastic alternative! The chocolate was rich and smooth and very satisfying.
Instead of getting empty calories from a regular sized chocolate bar, Cadbury Thins will fulfill your deepest, darkest chocolate fantasies.
Nestle Singles
Like Cadbury, Nestle has also jumped on the healthier alternatives bandwagon and released lower calorie versions of their original candy bars called Singles. Kit Kat and the Aero bar are the only chocolate bars so far to be trimmed down.
These mini bars are small in stature (a mere 15 grams) and it boasts only 80 to 100 calories with four grams of fat. But don’t go jumping for joy just yet. They have less calories and fat due to its petite size (like Cadbury Thins).
While I stupidly went grocery shopping on an empty stomach (never do this!), I decided to pick up the dark chocolate Kit Kat Singles bar.
As soon as I got home, in a fit of hunger and rage, I threw my groceries on the floor and ripped the wrapper off the enticing chocolate bar and devoured it. It was crisp, chocolaty and lip smacking good!
The serving size was perfect and it totally satisfied my hankering for chocolate. Believe it or not, sometimes good things come in small packages!
I would buy this bite sized chocolate bar again…and again…and again!
I know that sometimes it’s not always easy eating things that are healthy and good for you. Just remember that every once in a while you can treat yourself with something sweet. You can just have a little nibble to satisfy your sweet tooth, or opt for something rich, luscious and decadent. Either way, do what makes you happy! ¤ Michelle