Valentines Special- 5 Tips To Keep The Week Healthy

It’s the time of chocolates, wine and general excess as we celebrate love with our nearest and dearest. While we’re all for treating ourselves and the ones we care about, this year we’d like to do it all while showing some love for our health and waistlines, too. So, here are five ways for you to have an indulgent yet healthy Valentine’s Day.

* Dark chocolate has more vitamins and nutrients than regular milk chocolate such as healthy monounsaturated fats, fibre, iron and magnesium, and arguably it tastes more decadent, too. A great way to appeal to your sweetheart’s sweet tooth while cutting back on the calories is to dip fruits like strawberries and grapes in dark chocolate. Tasty and one of their five-a-day!

* We all like to clink glasses and cheers to the future on Valentine’s Day, but alcohol can really help us to pile on the pounds. However, there are some simple ways to make sure you’re not drinking away all your calories: go for a smaller measurement, drink water between each glass, or opt for a lower calorie tipple like gin and slimline tonic.

* Dining out is a popular date choice for Valentine’s Day, but a visit to your favourite restaurant can be full of hidden calories – and with nutritional information a rare sight, you could be consuming far more than your recommended daily intake. There’s nothing more romantic than cooking for your partner, or even cooking together, so why not plan out a healthy yet indulgent menu, set the table, put on some romantic music, and stay in for the night? Not only will your body thank you, but your bank balance will too!

* Rather than sitting for hours in a cinema munching on sweets and popcorn, or drinking your entire day’s worth of calories at a bar, stretch your together-time out across the whole day and do something active. There’s so much beautiful British scenery to take in, so pack up a healthy picnic, take a walk in the countryside and start burning some calories!

* Looking for the perfect gift to give this February for your health-conscious partner? Show them how much you care by pouring your time and energy into something handmade. This could be as simple as putting together a photo collage, or making favour coupons for things like doing their chores while they put their feet up. Not only will it be thoughtful, you’ll both be able to keep your health in check by avoiding the usual box of cookies!