A chocolate egg is one of the many desserts that are characteristic of Easter festivities. It is a challenge for the young and old, but we must not exaggerate. Dr. Manuela Pastore, dietician in Humanitas, spoke about this topic in a recent interview with Adnkronos.
If we were to eat a whole egg, for example, we would spend almost all the caloric bonus of the day on chocolate and to dispose of all the calories we take, it would take a real “tour de force” sport activity.
“An average egg of 230 grams is equivalent to about 1,260 kcal with a percentage of fat around 50% and carbohydrates of about 40%. The average caloric requirement of a woman with an active life and weight in the norm is about 1,400-1,500 kcal per day, while a man’s norm is 1,800-2,000 kcal. Eating a whole egg would mean meeting 70-80% of a person’s needs, with a totally unbalanced nutritional intake and unpleasant repercussions on the digestive system.
How much should you eat?
“The ideal portion is difficult to determine because it depends on normal weight or overweight conditions, nutritional needs and lifestyle, but 20 to 40 grams can be considered reasonable, especially if used as a snack if you lead an active life.
The classic variants are dark, extra bitter, fine milk and white chocolate, but the market offers new ones every year: with dried fruit such as hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, with puffed rice, cappuccino or covered with grains or sugared almonds such as smarties.
One hundred grams of chocolate make an average of 500-550 kcal. The percentages of fat and simple sugars vary depending on the type of chocolate and the addition of products such as milk, puffed rice, grains and so on,” explains Dr. Pastore.
Dark chocolate is better
Dark chocolate is to be preferred, “possibly with a high percentage of cocoa. In small quantities it helps to maintain healthy arteries with a beneficial effect on their internal walls, it is in fact rich in flavonoids that act as antioxidants. They help to combat oxidative stress, one of the main allies of many heart risk factors,” concludes the doctor.
