Take our quiz to find out your inner roadblocks to weight loss today!Click Here
Healthy Eating

Treat Yourself With These Simple And Sweet Chocolate Recipes

updated on

With Valentine’s Day arriving this upcoming Sunday, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Chocolate of course! As we know, chocolate is most people’s guilty pleasure. Do not be fearful about indulging on your favorite chocolaty treat every once in a while and showing yourself some love. Though not all chocolate is healthy, dark chocolate can provide the body with health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, having anti-inflammatory effects, and providing the body with antioxidants. Enjoy the following simple and sweet chocolate recipes to help you celebrate this season of love!

Do you want to learn how to make more healthy treats this Valentine’s Day? Click here to discover healthy alternatives to candy!

An Simple And Sweet, Mouthwatering Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipe

(8 Servings)

What you need: 24 strawberries, 1 cup of dark chocolate, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Optional: Coconut shavings, chia seeds, peanuts, and greek yogurt. 

Supplies: A small pot and medium pot (or a double broiler), a cookie sheet, and parchment paper.

  1. Fill up a medium sized pot ⅓ of the way with water and bring to a boil.
  2. While the water in your pot is heating up, wash your strawberries with cold water. Once clean, dry the fruit with a towel and place the strawberries to the side. 
  3. Once at a boil, change the stove top to medium heat and place the smaller pot into the medium sized pot. Add the dark chocolate into the smaller pot, stirring continuously. If you do not stir the chocolate will not melt properly. This stirring process should take roughly 10 minutes.
  4. Once melted, take the small pot full of dark chocolate out of the boiling water and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and stir. The olive oil allows for the chocolate to apply more smoothly onto the strawberry. 
  5. This is where you become creative! Now dip the strawberries into the melted dark chocolate and add any toppings of your choice. You can keep it simple with just chocolate but I recommend adding chia seeds on top for a little healthy kick!
    • Make sure to stir in between dipping strawberries so the chocolate doesn’t harden. If the chocolate accidentally hardens, place the small pot back into the medium pot with boiling water and stir. After a few minutes the dark chocolate will melt again.
  6. Once toppings are added place the chocolate covered strawberries on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper to harden. After all the strawberries have been dipped and placed on the parchment paper, put the cookie sheet in the fridge for 30 minutes to solidify.
  7. Take out the dark chocolate covered strawberries from the fridge, dip the strawberries into greek yogurt, and enjoy this simple and sweet treat!

This delicious treat is perfect for Valentines day and only contains 150 calories for every 3 chocolate covered strawberries. This sweet and simple snack contains 16 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of fat with 1.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, and loads of vitamin C!

A Healthy Protein Powder Ice Cream Dessert

(2 Servings)

What you need: 5 teaspoons of Stevia, 5 teaspoons of cacao powder, 1 cup of milk, 5 tablespoons of chocolate protein powder (2 scoops), 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum (can be purchased on amazon for $7), and 1 ¼ cups of ice.

Supplies: Microwave, microwave safe bowl, and a blender.

  1. Add the Stevia, cacao powder, and ¼ a cup of milk to a microwave safe bowl. Stir the mixture and place it into the microwave for 45 seconds.
  2. Then add ¾ a cup of milk, the protein powder, xanthan gum, the microwave mixture, and ice into a blender.
  3. Then blend the mixture until a smooth consistency is reached.
  4. Place the “ice cream” into a bowl and enjoy!

This ice cream is sure to knock your socks off! It is only 175 calories per serving and contains 18 grams of protein (may change depending on the protein powder), 5 grams of carbohydrates,  4 grams of fat, and only 2 grams of saturated fat. 

Need more help towards reaching your goals and becoming your best self? Don’t worry. Give us a call and follow our Facebook page. We’ll make an appointment to talk via Zoom or by phone. Together, we’ll find a way to make your day a little healthier and happier.

Call 301-869-1787 or click here to set up an appointment as my free gift to you.

Announcement: Living Your Healthy Sweet Life Podcast Series

Be sure to check out our Living Your Healthy Sweet Life Podcast Series! In this series, we discuss how to break out of your old habits and form new healthy habits while still being able to enjoy cookies from time to time. Could you imagine a life not controlled by food or other cravings? It would be much easier to enjoy the moment you are in. Let’s make a fresh start together this week with Episode 5 on Enjoy Mindful Eating!

  • Click here to watch the Latest Sweet Life Wellness Podcast Episode on How to Enjoy Mindful Eating: ADDLINK HERE
  • Press the link to listen for FREE on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6g6BNe3I8AwyXZGJcjUBMg                                                                                                                             

While you’re watching our Podcast please leave a comment and subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

To your Joy and Health,

Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN

This blog post written by Bailee Richman, Dietetics Student from the University of Maryland