Can You Drink Hot Chocolate While Pregnant?

Pregnant ladies who love to warm themselves up and possibly have a sweet tooth are probably wondering now if it’s safe to have a hot chocolate while pregnant.

If you’ve been asking yourself, “Can I drink hot chocolate while pregnant?” let me tell you right now that you can!

In fact, there are even some benefits to it. However, if you would like to know if it’s safe to drink hot chocolate all the time, I will also touch on that subject.

There are various interesting things (regarding drinking hot chocolate while pregnant topic) that I would like to reveal, so without further ado, let’s dive into this topic below!

Is Drinking Hot Chocolate While Pregnant Allowed?

Those of you who are just like me, who cannot resist this delicious and creamy beverage should consider yourself lucky since you’ve just been given the green light when it comes to drinking hot chocolate while pregnant.

Now that you know that it is safe to drink hot chocolate during pregnancy, let’s provide you with some more useful information.

Namely, one cup of hot chocolate (which is around 6 ounces) contains approximately 5 milligrams of caffeine.

Surprisingly, one cup of black coffee (roughly around 8 ounces) contains only around 2 milligrams of caffeine.

According to the experts, it isn’t recommendable to have more than 200 milligrams of caffeine each day while pregnant. 

So this just goes to show that it is safe to drink hot chocolate if you stick with up to two cups of it. Since it contains caffeine, you shouldn’t exaggerate (just think about your baby). This refers to coffee as well.

What Does Hot Chocolate Contain?

Now that both of us determined that it is safe to drink hot chocolate while pregnant let’s see what this tasty beverage contains.

People generally make it by employing first-class chocolate (it can be any sort of chocolate you like), and then they combine it with other items to make it creamy, and hot.

Depending on your needs and preferences, you can always add some shaved or chopped chocolate to the water, cream, or milk, along with any other flavor that you like.

Just keep in mind (while you drink hot chocolate while pregnant) that you shouldn’t add any sugar to it.

I mean you can, however, if you want to follow an original recipe, then you should drink hot chocolate while pregnant without it.

On the other hand, if your sugar craving is taking over your body and you cannot imagine drinking hot chocolate while pregnant without it, then feel free to add some cocoa or natural sweetener to it.

Generally speaking, milk, water, and cocoa powder are the most common ingredients in hot chocolate.

Hot Chocolate and Ingredients that Are Added to It

Milk & Cream in Hot Chocolate

It is safe to drink hot chocolate during pregnancy but only if you add pasteurized dairy to this beverage.

Why is that?

Well, that’s because raw milk poses a huge danger due to the fact that it is filled with harmful bacteria that can potentially jeopardize the safety of a pregnant woman and her baby.

Luckily, practically every store out there sells hot chocolate that only consists of pasteurized dairy.

In case you didn’t know, it’s actually illegal to purchase or sell raw milk across the state; however, if by any chance you stumble upon a dairy product that’s unpasteurized, make sure to check the label first.

But generally speaking, it’s pretty challenging to come across a place that sells raw milk. It is mostly sold by farmers.

Hot Chocolate & Sugar

If you want to stay healthy (and your baby too) while drinking hot chocolate while pregnant, then you should steer clear of sugar.

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t consume sugar at all, but just be sure not to exaggerate.

It is widely known that sugar can negatively affect our overall well-being (and the baby as well), even if you’re not pregnant, hence it would be advisable to have a hot chocolate while pregnant that isn’t high in sugar.

If you can have a hot chocolate (or coffee) while pregnant without it, then even better!

So what are the consequences of having too much sugar?

Besides the obvious weight gain (you know how stressed you can be as soon as you notice some weight fluctuation), eating too much sugar can increase the chances of developing diabetes and is generally not the most advisable ingredient for pregnant ladies and their babies.

If your diet during pregnancy is rich in sugar, then you’ll increase your chances of having:

1. Gestational diabetes

2. Gestational weight gain

3. Preterm birth

4. Preeclampsia

Why is too much sugar during pregnancy such as dangerous thing?

Well, that’s because the placenta produces insulin-blocking hormones, which means that sugar will stay in your blood for a longer period of time after eating.

Although your baby needs certain nutrients to stay in your body for a longer period of time, so he/she can benefit from them, however, your baby won’t benefit from large amounts of sugar.

As I previously stated, having too much sugar can potentially lead to diabetes, and if you suffer from it before you get pregnant, then you will increase the risk of having gestational diabetes.

So if you decide to drink hot chocolate (or coffee) while pregnant, then you should know that one cup of this drink contains approximately 25 grams of added sugar.

And according to health experts, pregnant women shouldn’t be having more than 30 grams of added sugar each day.

Thereby, if you cannot resist hot chocolate while pregnant then I advise you to either use healthier versions of sugar or to drink it in moderation and you’ll be just fine.

Hot Chocolate Calories

You were probably told that during pregnancy, your calorie intake is going to be decreased. Therefore, by the second trimester, you should have an additional 300 calories.

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t go over or beyond it. Just like with every other rule, this varies with every person.

USCF Health suggests having around 12-20 calories of protein intake, 25-35 calories from fat, and the rest is supposed to be from carbohydrates.

One cup of hot chocolate has around 194 calories, where 105 of these come from carbohydrates, 35 from protein, and 54 from fat.

But just keep in mind that all of this (referring to the total calories) depends on the source of the drinking chocolate, and whether you’ve utilized milk chocolate or dark chocolate.

The Key Benefits of Hot Chocolate

When it comes to this drink, pregnant women will be glad to hear that it offers a variety of different benefits. Let’s discuss some below.

It Lowers Stress

There’s no denying that dark chocolate is extremely healthy; however, what I personally didn’t know is the fact that dark chocolate decreases cortisol levels which can be very harmful when you’re pregnant.

That’s precisely one of the reasons why pregnant women should treat themselves to some good, old dark chocolate. Baby will love it too!

Not only will pregnant women feel much better (in terms of their mood), but something like this will also positively impact their babies through the endorphins that are released when pregnant women consume them.

Moving On to Antioxidants

According to the latest reports, pregnant women can benefit from dark chocolate due to its various antioxidants.

Flavonoids (that can be found in chocolate) are packed with antioxidants. And precisely them can lower the risk of having heart-related issues, diabetes, cancer, and many other serious health conditions.

Apart from all of these things, flavonoids are also capable of enhancing blood pressure by expanding blood vessels.

This process is also known as vasodilation. Several studies have concluded that eating some dark chocolate (not huge amounts of it) on a regular basis can increase blood circulation to the unborn baby.

So here’s another reason for pregnant women to consume hot chocolate. It’s for sure safe to consume if consumed in moderation.

Other Health Benefits

You know that blood pressure spikes during pregnancy are no joke because they can increase the risk of miscarriage.

That’s precisely one of the reasons why you must do everything you can to prevent it. One of the simplest, most effective, and most delicious ways to do so is by eating some chocolate.

Namely, according to some studies, women who consume a small amount of dark chocolate during pregnancy will reduce the risk of chronic high blood pressure. 

What Can Happen If You Drink Hot Chocolate Every Single Day?

Pregnancy cravings are no joke; there’s no doubt about that.

However, if a pregnant woman excessively drinks hot chocolate (this refers to coffee and tea, too), she will be in trouble. Eating chocolate (or coffee) overly is not a good idea.

What is going to happen?

Too much hot chocolate can result in weight gain, tooth decay, heart issues, and high cholesterol.

Although hot chocolate can be healthy when consumed in moderation, don’t forget that it doesn’t contain a certain amount of fat and sugar.

And both of these things can cause weight gain and high triglycerides.

What About Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate? Is it Safe While Pregnant?

There’s no yes or no when it comes to this. It mostly depends on your general caffeine intake (whether you have one cup of coffee or more) and whether you generally tolerate caffeine, or not.

So what do we know about Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate?

Namely, it represents a hot chocolate with caffeine, which is one of the reasons why you shouldn’t have large amounts of it.

You know that when it comes to pregnancy, caffeine is not the most desirable thing.

However, if by any chance you notice that you tolerate this beverage pretty well and that you are not experiencing any adverse effects after consuming it, then moderate consumption is permitted.

Amazing Hot Chocolate Ideas for Pregnant Ladies

If you would like to drink hot chocolate while pregnant, yet you would like to implement some pregnancy-friendly methods, then just scroll below because I’ll mention some delicious yet healthy suggestions:

Hot Chocolate with Almond

If you love your hot chocolate to be flavorful, yet you would like to add something that’s healthy and doesn’t contain too much sugar (I am talking to you mister syrup), then it would be great if you put some almond milk.

That’s especially an amazing idea if you enjoy that nutty taste. In these instances, hazelnut milk, or almond milk is a great idea!

Generally speaking, every plant-based milk is advisable (even when you’re not pregnant) because it is low in sugar, calories, and fat.

So even if you’re not the biggest fan of almond milk, you can always replace it with coconut milk, rice milk, oat milk, etc.

Dark Chocolate Comes Into Play Again!

I know that I previously discussed dark chocolate, but it doesn’t hurt to mention it again. Namely, you can make some tasty, yet healthy hot chocolate by combining hot milk with melted chocolate, and then just stirring it.

I concluded (just like many other health gurus) that dark chocolate is a much better option because it doesn’t contain as much sugar as milk chocolate.

However, in order to be one hundred percent sure that you are buying the right one, ensure to check the label first.

On the flip side, if you’re not the biggest fan of dark chocolate, then you can always employ some dark cocoa powder and you’ll accomplish the same effect.

One Amazing Recipe Before You Go

Before we say goodbye (because I know you will leave me for hot chocolate, and that’s okay as long as it’s not for hot Cheetos), I would like to share one spectacular recipe with you.

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup granulated sugar

2. 1/4 cup of cocoa powder

3. 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

4. 3 cups of whole milk

5. 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

Put sugar and cocoa powder in a saucepan and whisk them together. Once you’re done with that, whisk together vanilla extract, chips, and milk.

All of these ingredients should be brought to a milk boil over medium heat. Make sure to stir it often. If the mixture is completely melted, then you’ll know that you got everything right!

Allow it to cool for a bit before you serve it. I personally love to dip some cookies in this cup of hot chocolate (who said Oreos?).

Conclusion

You have probably figured out by now that during pregnancy you are having lots of cravings (both normal and strange ones). And that’s precisely one of the reasons why I wanted to cover this topic.

I know that having hot chocolate while pregnant for a lot of women is to ride or die situation (because eating chocolate does make them happy), so there you go.

You have my permission (as if you ever needed one) to have this flavorsome drink, but just keep it light (one cup of hot chocolate, or two is fine). Too much of it is a huge no-no.