HOT chocolate could help you lose weight, a diet expert claims.
A cup of cocoa, made at home with unsweetened powder, can boost fibre intake and stop you feeling hungry.
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Health coach Steve Bennett said although nuts and seeds are great fibre foods, hot choc could help slimmers with a sweet tooth.
Fibre is slow to digest which makes you feel full for longer and can stop snack cravings — often the driver of weight gain.
Steve, author of Fibre First, said: “Having more fibre in your diet makes you eat less and keeps you feeling fuller for longer.
“Cocoa powder, which should be the main ingredient in hot chocolate, is high in fibre.
The problem with the shop-bought versions in the UK is they have too much sugar and e-numbers.
“But you can have a simple healthy version that tastes just as good.”
His recipe is 200ml of warm milk, two heaped tablespoons of plain cocoa powder and two teaspoons of stevia sweetener.
The NHS warns most people need more fibre.
On average, adults only get 20g out of the recommended 30g per day.
Cocoa powder is about 28 per cent fibre. Other good sources include avocados, porridge and potato skins.
A study in 2015 on 240 people found that those who simply aimed to hit the 30g-per-day target lost an average of 5lbs in a year.
Steve, founder of the charity Public Health Collaboration, added: “Diets are all based on giving things up and people don’t like it.
“If you put the fibre first you can eat whatever you like afterwards but you will end up eating less because you feel fuller.”