Keep these sweets away from your hips and close to your heart (Flickr/Gary Hunt).

In fact, Americans eat about 58 million pounds of chocolates on Valentine’s Day. But instead of worrying about how to burn off all those sweet calories, why not make healthier homemade recipes for you and your honey?

Melted dark chocolate, fruit, and nuts are all you need to make several easy and healthy alternative to overpriced See's chocolates:

Dark chocolate is a dark horse when it comes to health. Many people do not know of its notable health benefits. Dark chocolate is good for your brain and your heart, and has antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Fruits are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals and can satisfy your sweet tooth without loading up your body with artificial sweeteners.

Nuts are an excellent source of protein, especially for vegetarians and vegans. They also pack a big punch for their size because they are very filling and loaded with additional health benefits.

Here are some simple recipes that you and your sweetheart can make and enjoy together:

1. Fruit drizzled in chocolate. There is nothing more delectable than fresh strawberries and raspberries lightly coated with a layer of melted dark chocolate.

Go to your local farmer's market or grocery store and buy organic fruit (stick with red and pink fruits for a special Valentine’s Day treat). For every cup of fruit you have, you only need to melt a fourth of a cup of dark chocolate. Drizzle the chocolate over the fruit and enjoy.

2. A peanut butter, dark chocolate, and fruit smoothie. 

Combine a cup of strawberries, one banana, a tablespoon of peanut butter, a tablespoon of melted dark chocolate, and a cup of ice in a blender. Blend until smooth and pour into a tall chilled glass. For that ultimate Valentine’s Day touch, add two straws, lady and the tramp style.

3. A warm, fruity, ice cream delight.

This is an instant go-to dish when you have fruit that is a bit too ripe. In fact, the riper the fruit, the more tasty the dish. Try apples, bananas, and pears to make this dish; however, it can work with most fruits. First prep the fruit. Remove the apple core and cut the apple lengthwise into thin slices. Peel the banana and cut lengthwise into two long slices. Cut the pear lengthwise into thin slices just like the apple. Next, turn the stove on medium/low heat and put half a tablespoon of butter and let it melt. Add the fruit to the pan and sprinkle some cinnamon onto the fruit as it cooks. Cook the fruit until it turns into a medium brown color. Finally, add the warm, cinamonny fruit to a chilled bowl and top it off with classic vanilla ice cream, and maybe some heart-shaped strawberries.

4. A frozen dark chocolate crunch.

If you have a freezer and an ice cube tray, you can make this easy snack. You can purchase heart-shaped ice cube trays to make this dessert even sweeter for Valentine’s Day. First melt some dark chocolate and pour it into the ice cube tray. Add some almond and macadamia nut bits on top of the chocolate. After two hours in the freezer, take out the ice cube tray and remove the frozen chocolates. Drizzle some caramel on the chocolate and place a heart-shaped strawberry to top it all off.

P.S. To make heart-shaped strawberries, face the stem of the strawberry toward yourself. Then take a knife and cut off the stem by making an upside down v-shape. You should see a rough, upside down heart shape. Turn the strawberry on its side and slice down lengthwise, and voila.

Enjoy these healthy dishes and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Reach Staff Reporter Niki Hashemi here or follow her on Twitter.