If you are like me and have a sweet tooth, you might wonder if treats like chocolate can be part of a healthy diet. You might wonder how much chocolate you can eat while still trying to be healthy.
You can eat 1-2 ounces of chocolate (1-2 squares) per day to get the health benefits, any more than that will lead to extra calories.
Have no fear, I am a registered dietitian and I am here to tell you that chocolate can be a normal part of a healthy diet! In fact, besides tasting delicious, dark chocolate, in particular has numerous health benefits and is packed with important nutrients and antioxidants for your body. Chocolate is high in calories and has a moderate level of saturated fat, so it should still be consumed in moderation.
Read on for more information about the benefits of dark chocolate, the proper serving size for chocolate, the best kinds of chocolate, and how frequently you should eat chocolate.
Is Chocolate Bad For You?
Treats and sweet foods like chocolate sometimes get a bad rep in our diet-obsessed culture. I like to believe that there really are no “good” foods or “bad” foods. Putting those types of labels on foods can lead to feelings of guilt for eating or not eating certain foods.
In reality, food doesn’t have any morality. Eating chocolate does not make you weak, just like eating vegetables does not make you a better person! It might take time and practice to reframe your thoughts about certain foods, but it will actually help you make healthier choices and feel better overall.
Different foods do different things for your body. While some types of chocolate have legitimate health benefits, other types of chocolate are still beneficial to your overall well-being, satisfaction, and enjoyment. As long as you are eating a balance of both nutrient-dense foods and foods that are enjoyable and bring you satisfaction and happiness, your body will thank you!
Chocolate Nutritional Facts
If you choose a high-quality dark chocolate (low sugar, 70% cacao or higher, with few additives) a 1 oz serving (usually 1-2 squares) contains around 170 calories, 12 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein, 13 grams of carbohydrates, and 7 grams of sugar (depending on the cacoa percentage).
Typically 1-2 ounces of chocolate per day is enough to get the health benefits, if you eat any more than that you will risk the negative health benefits from too many calories and possible weight gain.
Dark Chocolate Health Benefits
Chocolate actually comes from the cacao tree- cacao beans to be exact. Those cacao beans are eventually ground up into a paste known as chocolate liquor (Don’t worry- it’s not actually alcohol).
Dark chocolate contains a higher amount of that chocolate liquor, which also means it has more of the health benefits of the cacao beans it was made from!
One of the biggest benefits of dark chocolate is something called flavanols, a type of antioxidant that is found naturally in cacao.
Flavanols have been associated with many health benefits such as:
- Decrease risk of heart disease and stroke
- Decrease inflammation
- Increase your body’s sensitivity to insulin
- Reduce blood pressure
- Protects skin from UV rays
- Decrease stress and improve mood
Additionally, dark chocolate contains significant levels of minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, and zinc- all of which are important nutrients for keeping your body healthy and functioning properly.
It might surprise you to know that dark chocolate is actually pretty high in fiber! You get about 4 grams of fiber from an ounce of dark chocolate. Eating dark chocolate might even help reduce some of the natural cognitive dysfunction that comes as part of the aging process. Pretty cool, right?
What is the Difference Between Different Types of Chocolate?
While dark chocolate has to contain at least 35% chocolate liquor, milk chocolate only contains around 10%. Milk chocolate also is made with milk, while dark chocolate is usually dairy-free.
Different manufacturers will make their chocolate in a slightly different way using a different combination of chocolate liquor, milk, sugar, and cocoa powder. Did you know that white chocolate isn’t even actually chocolate because it doesn’t contain that chocolate liquor from the cacao tree- crazy!
What Percentage of Dark Chocolate is the Healthiest?
Dark chocolate tends to be more bitter and might take some getting used to. The higher the percentage, the more health benefits the dark chocolate will have, but jumping right into a super high percentage of dark chocolate might be a bit of a shock to your taste buds.
See if you can work your way up to a 60-70% dark chocolate. However, if you dislike dark chocolate, you can get the nutritional benefits from other foods as well. Only eat dark chocolate if you find it to be truly satisfying to your body!
Dark chocolate may offer some health benefits, but remember serving size is important too. You want to stick with 1-2 squares per day.
What Brand of Chocolate is the Best?
When picking a brand of chocolate, the first thing to consider is your own taste preferences! Each brand will probably have a slightly different taste, so figure out what you like best and go with that! There are a few other things you can look for on the labels as you choose chocolate:
- Look for a brand without a ton of additives
- Choose a brand with lower added sugar
- If it says “processed with alkali” or “dutched,” its antioxidant content is going to be lower, so you may want to try another brand.
Here are some high-quality brands to try. This is just a short list. Many, many other brands are dietitian-recommended too, depending on what you’re looking for! What’s your favorite?
- Theo Organic Dark Chocolate
- Lindt Excellence Dark Chocolate
- Beyond Good Chocolate Bars
- Hu Dark Chocolate
- Endangered Species Chocolate
- Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Squares or Bars
Tips for Chocolate Serving Sizes;
It is easy to get caught up in how good chocolate tastes and not realize how much you are eating. Typically the serving size for chocolate is about an ounce.
However, when it comes to sweets, sometimes you might want more, and other days you might want less. Putting hard limits on how much chocolate you are “allowed” to eat, might actually cause you to eat more because your brain hyper-focuses on it.
When eating chocolate, other sweets, or any other food, pay attention to the satisfaction you are getting out of eating. Maybe that first bite of chocolate cake tastes incredible, but halfway through, it stops having that same effect. Maybe you find yourself still enjoying it, but you are really just getting more full and not more satisfied.
I have had many people tell me that they have no self-control when it comes to sweets. They feel like they just eat way too much and then they feel guilty for giving into those strong cravings. If you relate to this- there are ways to help with those feelings.
- Give yourself permission to eat ALL foods- including chocolate. Give yourself permission to eat as much chocolate as you want! This might seem backwards if you feel out of control with sweets, but it actually takes your brain out of that restrictive mindset and gives you more freedom.
- Pay attention to how the chocolate tastes when you eat it- what is the texture like in your mouth? What does it smell like? Make eating the chocolate an enjoyable and memorable experience.
- Make sure you are eating enough during the rest of your day! It is interesting how often sweet cravings are related to an imbalance in blood sugars and not consuming enough carbohydrates or total calories during the day. You may benefit from working with a dietitian to help you eat more regularly and balanced throughout the day.
- Eat foods you actually enjoy. Sometimes we try to curb sweet cravings by eating something “healthier” but then we end up just eating more until we finally eat the thing we were craving in the first place!
- Eat a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat each time you eat throughout the day. This will help you feel satisfied and keep your blood sugar levels more stable. This often helps with strong sweet cravings!
As you follow those tips, finding the appropriate serving sizes will be much easier. As you listen to your body and respond to what it is telling you, you will be able to adjust your serving sizes to your daily needs.
Should Teenagers Eat Chocolate Every Day?
Just because chocolate has some health benefits doesn’t mean it is a magic food. Chocolate, even dark chocolate, is a rich food that is relatively high in calories and fat, and lots of chocolate is high in sugar as well.
While eating huge amounts of chocolate every day is probably not the healthiest choice, I still encourage people to listen to their body and eat what they enjoy. If chocolate is something you want to include on a daily basis, listen to your body and you might be surprised that you don’t need a ton to feel satisfied.
Summary
If you have been told chocolate is a “bad” food and should be avoided, I am here to correct that view. If you enjoy dark chocolate, it does have some surprising health benefits, but even if you prefer milk chocolate, your favorite foods can always be part of a healthy diet!
Yes, eating a ton of chocolate is not the healthiest option, but you might be surprised at how well your body regulates what you eat when you give yourself full permission to eat all foods.
Resources
Amidor T. Ask the expert: Chocolate’s health benefits. Todaysdietitian.com. Published February 2016.
Cleveland Clinic. Dark chocolate health benefits. Health.clevelandclinic.org. Published March 10, 2022.
Kallmeyer T. Dark chocolate: the best and worst brands. Healthyeater.com.
88 Acres. Health benefits of dark chocolate. 88acres.com.
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