I can’t resist chocolate.

If a chocolatey dessert is offered to me, I will right a losing battle for a few minutes before giving in. If I have chocolate in the house it will be gone before you know it. On the other hand, if I don’t have chocolate and a craving hits, I will eat everything in the house trying unsuccessfully to satisfy it. So, leaving it out completely is also a bad choice for me.

The best plan for me is to be smart about the chocolate treats I keep in the house and stay strong with portions.

Today is International Chocolate Day, so it’s a great time to share some of my tips and hope you will share some of your own with me. Also, I have a giveaway for all you chocolate lovers, so look for that!

The Smart Plan of Attack for Chocolate Cravings:

Prepackaged, single-servings

Give me a bag of chocolate and I will triple the suggested serving size, but if I have a piece of delicious chocolate and it is prepackage I’m a lot less likely to go overboard.

I love these chocolates from Aldi because they come in a variety of flavors (milk, mint dark chocolate, chili, orange…) and they come with 5 individually-wrapped pieces. I go with the dark chocolate (70% or 85%) and it feels like a special treat because I get the whole experience of unwrapping and savoring without undoing my whole day.

Drag it out

Along those same lines, if I’m going to give in to my chocolate craving, I’m going to enjoy myself and make it last. I look for things that will give me that chocolate fix and allow me to drag it out. My favorites are chocolate animal crackers I pick up at Walmart of Cats Cookies from Trader Joes because I can portion out around 15 cookies for 100-150 calories. Tootsie Rolls are also a good one because I can have a few and, between the wrappers and eating slowly, I can really make those last.

Get Creative

I have a whole Pinterest Board for healthier chocolate alternatives. I haven’t tried too many of them, but I have been dying to try some black bean brownies and other recipes. Adding cocoa to your “nice cream” is another great idea.

Follow Exploring Domesticity – Kristin’s board Better Chocolate Choices on Pinterest.

Have you tried any of the recipes on my chocolate board? I’d love to hear your verdict and favorites.

Protein & Nutrition Bars

There are so many amazingly yummy protein bars out there and a ton of chocolate options. So, instead of a candy bar, I reach for a bar that’s high in protein, has some great ingredients, and is lower in sugar than a candy bar.

Guess what!?

In honor of International Chocolate Day, I have a fantastic chocolate giveaway for you!

Check back tomorrow to see what will be in this basket. Why tomorrow? Because not only will I be giving away some chocolatey treats, but it’s the start of a Fall Into Fitness Giveaway Hop and you’ll be able to hop around to win even more prizes.

See you there!