To use Hot Chocolate as my main drink instead of coffee?

[DayInTheLifeOfaMum]

For background I don’t like coffee, I can’t stand the taste of it unfortunately, I wish I liked coffee but I just don’t. Since being a mum I’ve ended up drinking Hot Chocolate in the same way that some people drink Coffee, multiple times a day, at both home and work. I feel like my hot chocolates make me more awake and more alert in the same way that coffee does that for some people, I just can’t stand the taste of coffee though. DH reckons I should stop drinking hot chocolate like this, but he drinks multiple coffees a day which is not much different as I’m using hot chocolate to feel more alert and more awake which is the same thing that he uses coffees for! AIBU to use hot chocolates as my main drink instead of coffees?

The type of hot chocolates OP is drinking contain a hell of a lot more sugar and calories than a coffee/tea with a tsp of sugar in.

Have a glass of water and a pro plus. Way too much sugar and fat

Could you drink hot milk with some nutmeg/cinnamon instead?

My Drinks

Tea , milk no sugar (primary) average 8-10 cups a day
Coffee milky 2/3 sugars (now and then) average one every 3-4 days
Hot chocolate (usually a rarity or once a week as and when) usually once a week

PS there’s a fantastic Instagrammer called Healthy Family Food ideas who does a fantastic, no-nasties healthy hot chocolate recipe that contains collagen etc, so you could have that for your home ones at least!

Hot Chocolate
Health Benefits:

• Mood Booster: Cocoa contains compounds like theobromine and phenylethylamine, which can improve mood and relaxation.
• Milk: Adds valuable calcium and protein.

Potential Concerns:

• Sugar Content: Many hot chocolate mixes are high in added sugars and calories. A typical serving could contain 15–25 grams of sugar, which is close to or exceeds the recommended daily limit (25 grams for women, 36 grams for men, according to the American Heart Association).
• Low Nutritional Value: Commercial hot chocolate often lacks the nutrients found in pure dark chocolate or raw cocoa.

This is a huge daily sugar load. Risking diabetes really (and tooth decay). I would agree with your DH

Is coke high carb / cal ?

Op probably just needs to communicate with her DP and work out that awful shift pattern that many parents use to allow for enough sleep.
Ultimately sleep beat caffeine.

Sounds like you're drinking about 1000 calories a day. Unless you're an Ironman triathlete you're going to get quite fat quite quickly.

If you need multiple hot beverages to feel alert then it’s worth trying to address the problem. Are you getting enough sleep? Getting outside into sunlight in the morning will help your circadian rhythm if you find it hard to get to sleep at night. Get the mobile out of the bedroom!
Are you drinking enough water? Try having a glass of water before each hot chocolate, for a week. You’ll probably find you’re thirstier than you realise and you can’t really satiate thirst with sugary milk.
Cutting back on sugar and white carbs will do wonders for your energy levels. That’s a big step, but something to bear in mind. Try increasing the water consumption first though because it makes it easier. Then try having a healthier snack too before the hot chocolate, and gradually ease back.

I weaned myself off a 7 coffee a day habit and found I stopped having fatigue and energy slumps - caffeine contributes to some of the problems it’s supposed to fix.

It will be spiking your blood sugar and causing tiredness later, which will then make you want / need more to get another spike. Coffee doesn't do that.

How's your diet OP? Maybe you need a steadier energy flow from that.

Hot chocolate instead coffee is fine. Having hot chocolate as your main drink is not.

I think cacao powder is totally unprocessed ie it is just the powdered version of the cacao nibs so therefore better for you nutritionally, with nothing added/removed etc.

Go for it.

Has anyone else noticed there are three separate coffee threads in one night?

I limit how much hot chocolate we drink. The one's you add water to have a lot of sugar in. I wouldn't have more than one a day. At home I usually do it with cocoa powder and milk and add my own sugar. Usually 1/2-1tsp. But I still wouldn't have anymore. What about herbal teas if you don't like standard tea?

I am not a big coffee drinker as dont like instant, WFH and too lazy to make one in our machine.

I do drink loads of instant horlicks with a drop of full fat milk (fresh from the farm down the road 🤤) to make it less like malty lava.

It much more nutritious than hot chocolate, loads of minerals and vitamins - not sure about sugar but believe there is no added?

I love it; tastes like a liquid version of the middle of a malteaser and has the ability to perk me up or put me to sleep depending on my mood

Chocolate does have some caffeine in so it would give you that, but as others have said its the calories and probobly the additives. I hate coffee too and had to look around for a drink I like - I've settled on peppermint or fruit teas. But these dont have caffeine in and I try to manage without caffeine entirely. If I'm desperate, eg if i have to drive and I'm tired, I take a caffein tablet. they are really cheap and effective.

I don’t understand why this is a discussion, honestly.

Hot chocolate will have more fat and sugar than most cups of coffee, but then coffees can be heavily laden as well. Nothing else is relevant.

So consider the nutrition content of what you’re drinking and how it fits into your overall diet, and tell your husband to fuck off. You don’t need him or anyone else managing your diet for you.

Too many calories for several a day

I would think if you are drinking hot chocolate like people drink tea/coffee you will end up putting on a chunk of weight eventually as it’s full of calories and a shit ton of sugar.

I have a hot chocolate as a treat and give it to my kids as a treat but I wouldn’t have multiple cups a day.

Well I wouldn’t as it would double my daily calorie intake compared to coffee and I think the sugar would spike my blood sugar

It seems like you'd be lucky if it didn't make you gain quite a lot of weight. That x 3 alongside three meals a day would be around an extra thousand calories. Try and have only one a day, and get used to plainer drinks like herbal tea? That seems a bit more reasonable.