Can pregnant women drink hot chocolate? If you are pregnant and yearning for something warm and sweet, you may wonder this question.
The answer is yes. There are some benefits to consuming hot chocolate during your pregnancy. But, drinking too much may cause some risks.
We’ll go over the advantages of hot chocolate, the ideal amount to consume, and homemade recipes for pregnant ladies searching for a healthy, tasty version.
There is also some helpful material on this hot beverage you might be curious about while pregnant. Let’s dive into the details!
Is Drinking Hot Chocolate Safe During Pregnancy?
Many pregnant women love this hot drink
You’re in luck if you love hot chocolate since you can have it while pregnant. Due to the apparent caffeine amount in chocolate, as previously said, moderation is essential.
The caffeine content in a standard 6-ounce cup of hot chocolate is around 5 milligrams. An 8-ounce cup of black coffee, on the other hand, has roughly 2 milligrams of caffeine.
The ACOG recommends no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine every day during pregnancy. So it is perfectly okay to have a cup or two of this hot beverage every day.
What are The Ingredients of Hot Chocolate?
People make hot chocolate by using high-quality chocolate, whether dark, milk, or white. It is mixed with additional components to produce a hot, liquid drink.
You may add finely chopped or shaved chocolate to hot milk, water, or cream, along with flavorings such as vanilla or flavors. It isn’t sweetened with sugar.
Then, you can use a natural sweetener or cocoa to sweeten the mixture. Therefore, this drink is more indulgent and richer in flavor than hot cocoa.
Cocoa powder, heated water or milk, and sugar are the most common ingredients in hot cocoa. Moreover, this drink comes in various flavors and recipes to suit everyone’s preferences.
Hot Chocolate and Pregnancy
When you are pregnant, hot chocolate isn’t off-limits, even if you have heard that it is best to avoid it for the following reasons.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant that gives you a surge of energy and helps you focus. This substance is deemed harmless for the overall population, but physicians advise pregnant women to avoid it.
Despite the numerous potential advantages of caffeine, pregnant women absorb it far more slowly.
In addition, it takes from 1.5 to 3 times longer for a pregnant woman’s body to excrete caffeine. It is also known to pass the placenta and quickly penetrate the newborn’s bloodstream, jeopardizing its health.
Therefore, how much caffeine is safe to consume while pregnant?
According to the ACOG, caffeine use is healthy for pregnant women, although the daily maximum should be fewer than 200mg. Any quantity above that puts the pregnant woman at twice the chance of miscarriage.
High blood pressure, fast heartbeat, increased anxiety, diarrhea, and dizziness are other adverse effects of ingesting extra caffeine.
Sugar
High sugar meals are always hazardous for the female organism, whether pregnant or not. Diabetes, heart problems, and high blood pressure can result.
According to a study, taking high sugar regularly during pregnancy has been linked to unfavorable health effects for you and the baby.
Gestational diabetes, premature labor, preeclampsia, postpartum diabetes, and increased gestational weight are possible hazards.
As a result, pregnant women should consume sugar in moderation to avoid harmful consequences.
You can choose either “no sugar added” items or chocolates with less sugar, such as black chocolate rather than white.
How Much Hot Chocolate Can You Have While Pregnant?
It contains a considerable amount of caffeine and sugar
Caffeine in teas, coffee, and practically every soft, aerated beverage, but the quantity of caffeine in hot chocolates depends on how you prepare the drink.
For instance, a grande cup of Starbucks hot chocolate has 25 milligrams of caffeine, yet most 1 cups of hot chocolate powders mixture on the market include just 5milligrams.
Consider the following example:
- Black coffee – 1 cup has about 95 milligrams of caffeine
- Latte/Matcha – 1 cup contains 63-120 milligrams of caffeine
- Instant coffee – 1 cup contains 63 milligrams of caffeine
- Green tea – 1 cup contains 25-30 milligrams of caffeine
- Black tea – 1 cup has 25-50 milligrams of caffeine
So, it is acceptable for you to drink hot chocolates during pregnancy because it would take numerous cups to get anything near 200 milligrams of caffeine, but be aware of the sugar intake.
What Causes Pregnant Women to Crave Hot Chocolate?
There are several beliefs about why our appetites change during pregnancy and why we prefer specific meals at this time. A handful of the most prominent hypotheses are listed here.
The craving for this beverage may be due to hormonal changes
Hormonal Changes
Pregnancy brings about significant hormonal changes, particularly in the first trimester. It is a million times worse than PMS.
Pregnancy hormones may alter the sorts of desires you have, similar to what is happening when you’re anticipating your period.
Hormones may influence your food subjective experience, perception of mood, and smell, all of which affect the foods you want.
Sensory Changes
Many pregnant women claim that they become bloodhounds throughout their pregnancy, smelling things from far away and getting overwhelmed by odors. It can have an impact on the things we want to eat.
They do not prefer pungent-smelling foods. On the other hand, foods with nice, aromatic aromas may be more appealing.
Changing Nutritional Needs
Pregnant women require more iron and calcium than non-pregnant women. As a result, you may develop a taste for meals that contain these components.
The only difficulty is that the body may misinterpret your calcium requirement as a desire for a giant vat of vanilla ice cream.
However, don’t forget to supplement your diet with more healthy sources of the vitamin you want. Nuts, seafood, and well-deserved ice cream are excellent sources of calcium.
Survival of the Fittest
Some of our appetites and aversions stem from a drive to keep ourselves and our developing children safe.
Most of us, for instance, discover that things that would be harmful or less healthful, such as alcohol and coffee, readily find their way to our categories of aversions.
Many people also lose their appetite for meat, believing that eating meat increases the risk of bacterial contamination. These thoughts, however, are not shared by all pregnant women!
A Craving for Comfort
Many just seek meals that make us feel good, like sweets and carbohydrates.
We also seek meals from childhood that remind us of safety and affection. We may want what we consume when we are not feeling well during pregnancy.
Cultural Expectations
One of the fascinating aspects of cravings is how our upbringing influences our preferences for different meals.
American women desire chocolate the most, but Japanese women crave rice when pregnant. For pregnancy cravings, the same tendencies apply.
Benefits Of Hot Chocolate
Drinking this hot beverage may reduce stress
Chocolate can offer some genuine advantages for pregnant women, not just because it tastes terrific and satisfies cravings.
1. Reduce Stress
According to specific research, dark chocolate lowers cortisol levels, contributing to pregnancy difficulties and reproductive illnesses.
There’s no need to deny yourself chocolates since a mother’s mood can affect her kid due to the release of endorphins when eating chocolates.
2. Medical Benefits
Regularly eating a small amount of chocolate may offer some health benefits.
Some studies suggest a link between dark chocolate consumption and a lower risk of chronic high blood pressure during pregnancy.
3. Antioxidants
According to a new study, dark chocolate may benefit expecting moms because of the number of antioxidants.
Flavonoids are high in antioxidants present in chocolate, particularly dark ones. According to research, it may reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other prevalent diseases.
Flavonoids may potentially improve blood pressure by widening blood vessels, a process known as vasodilation.
At least one research found that eating a small amount of dark chocolate every day, starting in the first trimester, enhanced blood circulation to the fetus.
Hot Chocolate Mixes for Pregnancy
You can make your homemade drink easily
Homemade Mix #1
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Whisk together your cocoa powder and sugar in a saucepan. Then, whisk together your chips, vanilla extract, and milk.
- Bring the mixture to a mild boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Make sure the combination is completely melted and mixed in.
- Allow it cool to your preferred temperature before serving with your preferred toppings.
Homemade Mix #2
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup milk or cream
Guideline:
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together your sugar, salt, cocoa, and about 1 tablespoon milk until they are dissolved.
- Whisk in the remaining milk and cook medium heat, whisking periodically, until it’s steaming hot. Serve with a dash of vanilla.
- Blend it in the blender if you want it foamy.
- This recipe may be multiplied. Use 14 teaspoons of salt when you reach a quart of milk.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you can drink hot chocolate while pregnant. This beverage is not only good for satisfying your desires; it also offers health advantages, such as being a good source of calcium, which is essential for all soon-to-be mothers.
So, don’t worry about having a cup of hot chocolate now and then; instead, make your own at home. You can now keep track of your sugar and calories intake, and homemade cups have less caffeine than those sold in cafes.
Thank you for being so interested in the article!
