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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is chocolate unfairly demonised as unhealthy?

107 replies

JambonetFromage · 15/01/2026 14:56

DC are supposed to take a "healthy snack" into school for break.

What I send varies depending on what's in the house - sometimes it's something like a babybel, ricecakes, fruit etc. Often things which are questionable like hobnobs, banana bread, malt loaf, flapjack. But it's all been fine.

This week I sent them with homemade chocolate cornflake cakes - these were just cornflakes mixed with some melted chocolate. DC came back with a letter from school saying these were unsuitable snacks.

Now I'm not trying to claim that chocolate cornflake cakes are "healthy" but I don't think they're nutritionally any better/worse than a flapjack or a slice of maltloaf which I've sent the DC with on many an occasion. I think the problem is one contains chocolate and the others don't.

AIBU to say that chocolate isn't evil and something containing chocolate doesn't necessarily make it less healthy?

OP posts:
SpaceRaccoon · 15/01/2026 15:15

Very dark chocolate is actually quite nutrient-dense, but I'd be surprised if most children's palettes were happy with 90% cocoa chocolate.

Strawberryfruitcorner · 15/01/2026 15:02

flapjacks and malt loaf can be just as unhealthy too, depending on sugar content.

We make home made banana/or veg based wholemeal muffins or cereal bars and add dark chocolate chips.

Its really easy to knock up no or low sugar veg based snacks.

justpassmethemouse · 15/01/2026 15:02

It’s all a box ticking exercise. All food is fine in moderation. I bet the chocolate cornflakes would be fine in the lunchbox. It will just be about playing the game with the morning snack.

TheHedgehogCannotBeBotheredAtAll · 15/01/2026 15:01

Meanwhile, you can guarantee the school dinners will have a sugary pudding and the after school club will give kids biscuits. I thought we weren’t supposed to be teaching kids that there were “good” foods and “bad” foods anymore as it’s supposed to cause disordered relationships with food. And yet…. 🙄

KimberleyClark · 15/01/2026 15:00

Chocolate isn’t healthy unless it’s very high cocoa content and that in moderation.

Beenaboutabit · 15/01/2026 14:58

It’s not a healthy snack.

SunnyKoala · 15/01/2026 14:58

Just actually send them with something healthy. You've been pushing the boundaries but most schools it's fruit or veg only.

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