HEALTH

Eat Right

Pick better-for-ya V-Day desserts

Whether you’re single or coupled up, Valentine’s Day is bound to make you seriously crave some sweet chocolates. We’ve got some ways to make your chocolate-y diet healthier so that you can spoil yourself without feeling weighed down.

Go dark.

The cold, hard truth? Most candy bars and desserts you see are made with milk chocolate which, ah, isn’t exactly health food. Dark chocolate, on the other hand, filled with antioxidants and research ahs found it helps lower blood pressure. That doesn’t mean you should eat it instead of salad but the occasional indulgence is A-OK.

Organic Dark Chocolate, $3, lakechamplainchocolates.com

Bake smart.
Treats like brownies have a lot of additives and refined sugar, so cutting back on these components make for a much healthier dessert. Check out our fave healthy-ish brownie recipe. Or, whip up chocolate pudding and toss in some strawberries if you want something lighter than, say, molten chocolate cake (the one at Chili’s has more calories than TWO Big Macs—ick).

Love veggies? Try adding some to dessert recipes for an unexpectedly tasty treat, like this stealthy chocolate cake. Don’t freak, but it uses beets as a surprise ingredient.

Bypass the cocoa.
We know it’s hard, but why not skip the chocolate and go for something sweet and nutrient-packed? Registered dietician Lindsey Toth, MS, RD shared this veggie smoothie recipe with us:

“Try blending together 1 cup milk, 1 cup vanilla yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen berries, and 1/4 raw sweet potato, and 1 cup chopped spinach,” she tells us. She also swears you won’t even taste the vegetables. Cool, right?