Food and Health Communications

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Chocolate Facts

We just noted a press release from Masterbrands that explains the release of dark chocolate M&M candies.First stop of course is the www.mms.com website to find the nutritional information on M&Ms.A mere 1.5 ounce bag of this candy yields a whopping 240 calories. MyPlate.gov explains that most individuals barely have 100 calories to spare for discretionary calories from excess fat and sugar. Furthermore, how many would eat everything else in their diet low in fat and sugar and high in fiber throughout the day so they could afford this?M&M Peanut    250M&M Dark    240M&M Milk    240Mazing Mini    210M&M Mini    150The latter choice is a bit of a surprise. The reason for the reduced calories is the small portion size - roughly 1 ounce. They come in a small brightly-colored container that looks more like an item for kids. This is probably the best choice for an occasional M&M fix.There are lower-calorie choices for the chocolate fix.Here are some 100 calorie snacks/desserts that we came up with to satisfy the chocolate tooth and add fruit or yogurt:• 1 cup strawberries + 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup• 1/2 banana + 1 tablespoons chocolate syrup• 1/2 cup light yogurt, 1 tablespoon chocolate chips