Dark chocolate is best for you because it's the least processed chocolate, which means it contains the highest percentage of flavonoid-filled cocoa bean (cocoa).
White Chocolate: “White chocolate is the least healthy, since it contains zero cocoa solids,” Hunnes emphasizes. 'It's just sugar and cocoa butter.”
White chocolate is said to be the unhealthiest of the three variants. On average, it has the most calories and also contains the most sugar. Milk chocolate has a similar number of calories but it contains a little less sugar. In comparison, dark chocolate is the healthiest choice compared to the other variants.
Go for Bittersweet. As noted, chocolates with a cocoa percentage of 70 or higher are the healthiest types. Bittersweet chocolate's percentage ranges from 65 to 80 percent, making it a very viable healthy dark chocolate option.
Look for products containing at least 70% cocoa. The higher the percentage, the more bitter (and less sweet) it will taste, but the healthier it is. Cocoa beans should always be listed first in the ingredient list. Avoid chocolate containing vegetable oil, butter oil, artificial sweeteners or milk substitutes.
Lindt dark chocolate is made with high-quality ingredients and contains a high percentage of cocoa solids, which are responsible for the health benefits of dark chocolate. Lindt dark chocolate is also low in sugar and calories, making it a healthy choice for those looking to improve their health.
It is also worth noticing that 100% dark chocolate is the healthiest option among all the sugar-free chocolates on the market. To make their products palatable without sugar, many big chocolate manufacturers use alternatives with lower calories but higher sweetening power.
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news – but chocolate is chocolate, and should never be considered a 'health' food. It's choc-full of saturated fat which is bad for your heart, as well as added sugar which can be detrimental to your teeth.
Eating dark chocolate in moderate amounts can help in the weight loss process. It has monounsaturated fatty acids that improve metabolism and rapidly burn calories. Also, dark chocolate curbs cravings if eaten 20 minutes before a meal.
For those chocolate lovers, stick to dark chocolate that is at least 70% cacao to get the most health benefit.
An apple is a healthier snack because it has more nutritional value than chocolate — and a fraction of the calories. Apples contain vitamins and minerals that are essential to healthy growth and development, as well as brain functioning, heart health, and our bodies' other daily needs.
Russell Stover Sugar-Free Chocolate
Even more, these sugar-free chocolates are completely organic, made out of stevia which is a naturally occurring sweetener. Stevia is known to have zero calories in it, making it even suitable for diabetic patients.
What is the daily recommended amount of dark chocolate? The recommended “dose” is approximately 1 to 2 ounces or 30-60g, experts say. Indulge in anything more than that, and you may be consuming too many calories.
And while some chocolate-filled treats can be loaded with sugar and other ingredients that aren't great for your health, dark chocolate can be surprisingly good for you. If you eat a small portion of dark chocolate every day, you could see an overall improvement in your health.
Lindt Excellence Dark Chocolate 85% and 90% Cocoa
Lindt dark chocolate is the OG of healthy supermarket desserts – high in heart-friendly flavonoids and low in sugar.
Dark chocolate is packed full of important minerals, including iron, magnesium, zinc, copper and phosphorus. In your body, these minerals are used to support factors such as immunity (zinc), can help keep your bones and teeth healthy (phosphorus), and contribute to better sleep quality (magnesium).
Yes, you read that right. You can now get vitamins from chocolate thanks to trendy health brand Benefit. Each of their bars is blended with 12 key vitamins, giving you 50% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A, D, B12, B6, B1, B2, E & C, niacin, biotin, pantothenic acids, folic acid anhydrous and maltodextrin.
Milk chocolate has more sugar, thus more carbs and more calories than dark chocolate. 100g of milk chocolate has a whopping 52g of sugar, whereas Lindt 78% dark chocolate has 18g of sugar.
High-quality dark chocolate (70% or higher) is the best chocolate for diabetics to eat, as it has flavonoids, a type of antioxidant and mood-boosting effects.