The world loves chocolate. Whole cookbooks, calendars, even movies, have been devoted to the pleasures of this rich treat. When you’re managing diabetes, indulging your craving for chocolate requires a little more thought than it may have in the past.

The good news is that chocolate is no longer a “forbidden food.” In the past, health professionals thought sugar acted differently in the body than other starches and quickly elevated blood glucose levels. In fact, research has found that’s not true. Sugar affects your blood glucose levels in the same way as pasta, bread, vegetables, fruits, rice and other starches.

A few years ago, the American Diabetes Association changed its recommendations to say, “the use of sucrose as part of the meal plan does not impair blood glucose control in individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.”

When you consider adding any sweet to your diet, it’s important to read the nutrition label, calculate the total carbohydrates and fat into your meal plan, and substitute the sweet for other carbohydrate-containing food in the meal.

There are alternative sweeteners in many products. Sweeteners such as Saccharin, Aspartame, Acesulfame potassium and Sucralose are calorie-free and don’t raise blood sugar levels.

Sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol typically have half the carbohydrates and calories of sugar, but they can still raise your blood glucose.Sugar-free chocolates are often sweetened with these reduced-calorie sugar alcohols.

“It’s a good idea to go slowly when trying a chocolate sweetened with sugar alcohol to see how much your body can handle without elevating your blood sugar,” said Carol Siegel, RD, a nutritionist with Nestlé.“Sugar alcohols can also cause intestinal discomfort if eaten in large quantities.”

The fats, total carbohydrates and calories of sugar-free chocolate need to be counted as part of your total meal plan. Always be sure to check the labels, as these foods can be high in calories, fat and saturated fat.

Choco-Tips