http://www.boxochocolates.com/chocolate/valentines-day-gift-chocolates.html Valentines Day gift chocolates have been popular for centuries. But Valentines Day gift chocolates don't have to be fattening. en-us Sun, 31 Jul 2005 11:33:57 EDT Sun, 31 Jul 2005 11:33:57 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0 You've seen it all when it comes to Valentines Day gift chocolates. The heart-shaped boxes of candy, regular boxes of assorted chocolates, a chocolate cream or marshmallow heart, heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies, etc. But all of these things are fattening. There are ways to enjoy chocolate that won't expand your waistline, and some of them even come in gift sets. Inedible Replacements for Valentine's Day Gift Chocolates If you're a true chocoholic and you're on a diet, it can be difficult to let go of the precious, creamy goodness that is chocolate. But a boyfriend who wants to indulge his sweetie in one of her favorite things might be tempted to get her chocolate anyway "just this once." Don't do it. There are other options. First, go online or open your local yellow pages and see if there are any spas in your area. Then call them and see if they offer any chocolate spa treatments. The cocoa butter in chocolate is known to be a great skin softener, and many spas are now adopting chocolate spa treatments into the services they offer. No spas offer that in your area? Then go to www.chocolate.com and order one of the gift sets of chocolate bath products. (Remind your girl that these are not edible.) One collection has chocolate shampoo, body wash and bubble bath. Your honey will feel like a marshmallow when she melts away in this bath. In fact, once she opens these Valentines Day gift chocolates, you could tell her to wait while you "put them away" for her. Instead, draw a bath for her using the bubble bath and putting the other two items tubside. Light candles (chocolate candles would be nice) and place them around the tub, put on some soft music in the bathroom then bring her to the tub and leave her alone to indulge while you prepare a romantic dinner for the two of you. Nice, huh? Another idea for non-edible chocolate is (as we eluded to before) a chocolate candle. Maybe you could get one of these in addition to (or instead of) the chocolate bath products. Both of these are great ideas to give your chocoholic girl instead of Valentines Day gift chocolates on Valentines Day if she's on a diet. If your guy is the chocoholic and doesn't want to gain weight (yes, there are men out there who diet) they might enjoy chocolate gifts of chocolate cigars or chocolate coffee. (Of course, you might both enjoy the chocolate coffee.) Low Calorie Replacements A piece of chocolate in and of itself isn't that bad, calorically speaking. The problem is, when your giving chocolate as a Valentines Day gift, you generally can't find just one small piece of chocolate. (However, Russell Stover's makes a 4-piece box of chocolates, but they aren't necessarily packaged as Valentines Day gift chocolates.) A nice alternative is in the form of beverages. What about hot chocolate, frozen hot chocolate or chocolate coffee? Obviously, these have more calories than a chocolate spa treatment, chocolate candles, chocolate bath products and chocolate cigars, but it can satisfy a craving without being a constant temptation until the box is empty. If your significant other has enough willpower to enjoy one chocolate a day, Valentines Day gift chocolates might be a good idea. But if he or she is trying to lose weight, why tempt them? Sun, 31 Jul 2005 11:33:57 EDT