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You're craving chocolate but you go for the "healthier" choice — a granola bar. Registered dietitian, Catherine Dilts, says "Go for almonds and dark chocolate instead of a granola bar - it takes 2 seconds to grab and is packed with way more fibre + way less sugar!"
As you can see from this comparison photo, both snacks are quick, but the granola bar has nine more grams of sugar and much less fibre (seven grams) than the dark chocolate [3] with a handful of almonds. This means that if you eat a granola bar for your afternoon snack, you'll soon feel hungry so when dinnertime rolls around, you're more likely to overeat. The almonds and dark chocolate will satiate your hunger much longer.
Aside from less sugar and more fibre, almonds and dark chocolate have fewer ingredients and fillers than many store-bought granola bars. This simple combo will also satisfy your chocolate cravings, because let's be honest — if you want chocolate and eat a granola bar, you'll still want the chocolate [4]. Your cravings won't just disappear, and you may end up eating it anyway.
Eating chocolate makes us happy and boosts out mood, so it's good for our mental health. Dark chocolate also offers other health benefits [5] such as helping you exercise longer, lowering blood pressure, improving stress levels, fighting inflammation, and boosting memory and immunity. So many reasons to snack on chocolate!