Part of a Balanced Diet

Everything in Moderation 

There's no getting around it — chocolate is high in fat and calories. But eaten in moderation, chocolate can easily fit into a healthy, balanced diet.

The most important factor to consider with chocolate, as with all foods, is to balance the amount of calories you consume with the amount you burn. New dietary guidelines stress the importance of portion control and exercise to maintain a healthy weight. The guidelines also allow for a minimum of about 200 discretionary calories a day (that number increases if you exercise regularly). An average chocolate bar has about 200 calories.

"Diet is not a verb", says Debra Miller, Ph.D., Hershey's nutritionist and health expert. "It's everything you take into your body...and not just for a day, but over a week, a month and your lifetime."

As far as treats go, chocolate is a good one. Dark chocolate and cocoa can provide many health benefits, particularly for your heart. Milk chocolate can provide calcium, which is good for your bones. And despite its saturated fat content, eating chocolate does not raise cholesterol levels. Studies show that even people who ate 10 ounces (about 6½ standard bars) a day did not have elevated cholesterol levels

"Chocolate in its original form is a plant," Miller said. "It's hard to go wrong eating plants."

So enjoy — in moderation. Just like everything else in your life.