HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. - In celebration of the New Year, Mars Chocolate North America announced that its Dove?Dark Chocolate has partnered with celebrity chef Claire Robinson to showcase how to make five resolutions that are easy to keep all year long.

Many Americans start the year with good intentions to keep resolutions, but a large percentage give up as early as January because of incorrect expectations. Dove?Dark Chocolate and Robinson are offering five tips and options that can help people enjoy making healthy changes without compromising taste.

"Many people resolve each year to give up something they love, but that isn't actually necessary in many cases," said Debra A. Sandler, chief consumer officer at Mars Chocolate North America.

Robinson??s five tips for keeping 2012 resolutions are:

1. Start With Small Steps: A common mistake is making drastic resolutions that are difficult to keep and that sacrifice important things. Choosing dark chocolate as part of a healthier regime doesn??t mean you have to sacrifice great taste. DOVE??Dark Chocolate has all of the positive benefits of cocoa flavanols, but still maintains the silky smooth creamy taste the brand is known for.
2. Create A Built-In Reward System: To reinforce your long-term goals, implement a built-in reward system that allows you to celebrate the small victories and keeps you motivated. The portion size of Dove?Dark Chocolate Promises makes it easy to enjoy as a reward every day.
3. Enlist A Friend: Life is about good friendships and accountability. Find a friend who has similar goals and check-in with each other regularly on progress and to find solutions to roadblocks.
4. Make Your Time Count: From planning a successful workout regimen to getting your errands done, split up your tasks into small, easy-to-accomplish steps. It may feel like it is taking longer, but you are actually adding space into your life.
5. Do Good, Feel Better: Choose a community or philanthropic organization that you are passionate about and get involved. And remember, by participating in a series of activities over a six- month period ?" not just a big "one-off" event ?" will make it easier to keep your commitment and avoid burnout.

As part of the yearlong program, Claire will also share her "Top 5" finds for 2012 and a series custom recipes featuring Dove?Dark Chocolate. Her first recipe is a Flourless Dove Dark Chocolate Cake and is on the brand??s Facebook page.

In conjunction with the New Year??s program, Mars Chocolate North America announced that its Dove?Dark Chocolate brand is now the first mainstream chocolate brand to bear the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal on its dark chocolate products?"reinforcing the company??s long-time commitment to cocoa sustainability.