The first thing I think of with chocolate is how smooth and sweet it is and how easily it slips down the throat.

It's marketed as the ultimate indulgence and gift of love, so we feel as if we're giving a treat or something special and in these tough economic times, it's no accident that chocolate sales are soaring.

Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a chemical which sparks emotional arousal and is released by the brain during happy times (such as when you are in love). There is speculation that if you suffer a broken romance or feel depressed, your brain undergoes a "withdrawal" of phenylethylamine, which can trigger a craving for chocolate.

Now for the bad news. Chocolate, whether dark or milk, is rich and fattening. With roughly one-third fat and half sugar, it's a very concentrated food, one that packs many kilojoules into a small weight. Compare 50g of three foods - a 50g bar of chocolate has 1107 kilojoules (264 calories); 50g of lean steak supplies a mere 410 kilojoules (98 calories) while 50g of fried potato chips has less than half of chocolate at 500 kilojoules (120 calories).

Yes chocolate contains small quantities of B vitamins, antioxidants and the minerals potassium, phosphorus and calcium (especially from milk chocolate) and copper. But levels are small. Don't get too excited!

So given that it's not only high in fat but hard to resist, small doses of chocolate as part of a healthy diet still seem the wisest option.

Catherine Saxelby is a nutritionist and author of Nutrition for Life. Get more healthy eating tips at www.foodwatch.com.au