If you don’t love chocolate, then you’re definitely in the minority.
A food popular since the ancient days of Mexico, it remains a societal treasure to this day.
However, not all cocoa products are made the same, and the ‘dark’ variety is where the health benefits lie.
This low carb chocolate guide will show some of the healthiest dark chocolate bars that you can currently buy.
Firstly, we will look at eight low-sugar dark chocolate bars. Following this, we examine thirteen sugar-free options.
Why is Dark Chocolate a Healthier Option?
For the most part, dark chocolate is healthier because it restricts the amount of sugar in the bar and contains much larger amounts of cocoa.
Cocoa is one of the most nutrient-rich foods around, and it is a major source of many essential minerals.
(See this guide to the health benefits of dark chocolate for an in-depth look.)
To quickly summarize; the polyphenols in dark chocolate may contribute to fighting oxidative stress in the body (1).
These polyphenols have been linked to decreased inflammation, reduced cancer risk, and potentially even some degree of protection against cardiovascular risk (2, 3, 4, 5, 6).
The fact that some bars are virtually sugar-free chocolate also plays a part in the health benefits.
Notably, increasing sugar intake has been associated to increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, and many chronic illnesses (7, 8, 9, 10, 11).
Overall, dark chocolate has the best of both worlds due to more health-protective compounds and a whole lot less sugar.
Is Low Sugar Chocolate and Dark Chocolate the Same?
Just a quick note; there is a difference between low carb chocolate and dark chocolate. While there are many dark chocolate brands, not all of them produce the same quality.
In truth, most so-called ‘chocolate’ is a chocolate-flavored bar of sugar. In other words; the amount of sugar vastly outweighs the cacao content.
For example, some commercial chocolate bars declare themselves as ‘dark chocolate’ but in reality, they are more than 50% sugar.
For instance, here is Hershey’s ‘Special Dark Chocolate’:
As can be seen, there is 21g sugar per 41g serving and only 3g fiber. This chocolate is neither real dark chocolate nor anything close to low carb.
In comparison, take a look at the chocolate below from Endangered Species:
As shown above, this dark chocolate has 5g sugar per 43g serving and the fiber content is 6g – an even higher amount than the sugar.
The Best Low Carb Chocolate Bars
Listed below are eight of the very best dark chocolate bars, all of which are low in carbs.
The criteria for inclusion was as follows:
- The chocolate should have a minimum of 80% cacao
- Each bar should have minimal ingredients
- All bars should be free of artificial sweeteners
You can see information on the ingredients profile, servings per bar, fat and carb contents.
However, please note that just because the label dictates a certain serving size doesn’t mean you need to follow it.
So, let’s get started….
#1. Vivani 100% Organic Dark Chocolate – 85% Cacao
Size: 100g
Serving Size: 42g
Ingredients: Cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, raw cane sugar
Fat: 22g (14g saturated fat)
Total Carbs: 15g (6g sugar, 6g fiber)
For me, Vivani is one of the best dark chocolate bars in the world.
Given the minimal amount of ingredients, the fact that it’s organic, and also the relatively low sugar content; this is one of the healthiest dark chocolate bars.
The taste is also very deep and flavorful. Of course, it’s bitter, but it displays a creamy flavor unusual for a bar of this strength due to the liquor and cocoa butter combination.
Another key point is the cocoa liquor; should you not know what this is, it’s a little different to the cocoa powder in many bars.
Cocoa liquor is made by roasting the cocoa beans with cocoa butter in their natural ratio. In contrast, manufacturers make cocoa powder from the leftovers of the cacao bean after extracting the cocoa butter (12).
Taste-wise, this results in a smooth texture rather than the powdery feel some dark chocolate bars give you.
#2. Lindt Excellence Dark Supreme – 90% Cacao
Size: 100g
Serving Size: 40g
Ingredients: Chocolate, cocoa butter, cocoa powder pressed with alkali, sugar, bourbon vanilla beans.
Fat: 22g (13g saturated fat)
Total Carbs: 12g (3g sugar, 5g fiber)
Compared to the Vivani bar, this one has the benefit of a higher cocoa percentage and a smaller amount of sugar. Owing to the minimal sugar, it’s an ideal low carb chocolate bar.
However, the taste doesn’t quite match the Vivani. Despite having a slightly powdery texture, the taste is reasonable, and the vanilla beans bring the bitterness down a notch.
Another thing to remember is that this bar is not organic. Whether or not this matters depends on your opinion, but cocoa is one of the most heavily sprayed food crops in the world (13).
Regarding this point, several studies have shown the presence of chemical pesticide residues in chocolate and cocoa beans (14, 15, 16).
#3. Endangered Species Natural Dark Chocolate – 88% Cacao
Size: 85g
Serving Size: 43g
Ingredients: Chocolate liquor, cane sugar, soy lecithin, vanilla
Fat: 20g (11g saturated fat)
Total Carbs: 17g (5g sugar, 6g fiber)
Endangered Species is one of the best dark chocolate brands to support.
The reason for this is that all their products are fair trade, non-GMO, and they donate 10% of their profits. To what? To protect ‘endangered species’ of course!
Similar to the Vivani bar, this also contains cocoa liquor, although it has a slightly higher cocoa content.
As previously mentioned, you don’t have to follow the serving size. Half of the recommended amount (21.5g) and the sugar total comes to 2.5g – definitely low carb chocolate territory.
Overall this is a nice bar, with a rich, earthy chocolate taste and a hint of vanilla too. The only drawback is the slightly smaller size and the fact it isn’t organic.
#4. Alter Eco Dark Blackout Organic Chocolate – 85% Cacao
Size: 80g
Serving Size: 40g
Ingredients: Cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, raw cane sugar, vanilla
Fat: 21g (13g saturated fat)
Total Carbs: 14g (6g sugar, 5g fiber)
As one of the best dark chocolate brands, Alter Eco’s chocolate bars are both organic and fair trade, ensuring the cacao farmers receive fair payment.
Regarding the ingredient profile, you’ll notice this is very similar to the Vivani bar. The only difference is the addition of vanilla, which balances the bitterness a little better.
Despite having a similar price, you are paying slightly more for your money due to the smaller size bar.
Again, I’d recommend cutting the serving size in half as dark chocolate is satisfying in small amounts.
As for the taste, this bar is great; it has a rich and varied taste with lots of different flavor notes. It’s bitter but not intensely so.
On pure taste alone, this is probably my favorite dark chocolate bar.
#5. Dagoba Organic Chocolate Eclipse – 87% Cacao
Size: 56g
Serving Size: 56g
Ingredients: Cacao beans, cane sugar, cacao butter, soy lecithin, milk
Fat: 27g (17g saturated fat)
Total Carbs: 19g (8g sugar, 8g fiber)
Dagoba positions itself as one of the premium dark chocolate brands. Promoted as more of a boutique style chocolate, the price-point of Eclipse represents this supposed higher quality.
Whereas most of the bars listed so far are around the $3 mark, this one is the same – but for only 56g.
But does the quality justify the higher value? For me, the answer is “not really.”
It’s an enjoyable bar, but not superior to the other options – and it even starts tasting a little too dry.
However, the taste is very flavorful and intense, so maybe if you are a true chocolate connoisseur, you might find something in it that I didn’t.
#6. Chocolove Extreme Dark Chocolate – 88% Cacao
Size: 90g
Serving Size: 30g
Ingredients: Cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla
Fat: 16g (10g saturated fat)
Total Carbs: 10g (4g sugar, 4g fiber)
Despite being 88% cacao, this bar is just as sweet as most 85% bars.
Unlike most of the previous bars, sugar comes before cocoa butter in the ingredients profile. So, although the cocoa content is a little higher, the amount of sugar is similar.
I tried this one for the first time just yesterday, and it’s pretty tasty. At first, there’s a strong intense chocolate taste which is followed by slight coffee flavors.
Overall it’s an enjoyable chocolate bar, but it’s not quite as pleasant tasting as some of the others. Also, it comes at a similar price point despite being non-organic.
#7. Green & Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate – 85% Cacao
Size: 100g
Serving Size: 40g
Ingredients: Chocolate, cocoa butter, cocoa, raw cane sugar, vanilla extract
Fat: 20g (12g saturated fat)
Total Carbs: 15g (8g sugar, 4g fiber)
As the packaging says, this bar is very dark and very smooth, with a slight hint of vanilla.
I’m not exactly sure why, but this dark chocolate is a lot less intense than other 85% bars. In fact, it tastes as though the cacao content should be somewhere in the late 70s range.
Green & Black’s 85% is also one of the healthiest dark chocolate bars; it’s organic and doesn’t use any additives.
The taste is mild and a little creamy tasting, even more so than the Vivani and Alter Eco bars.
Like most 85%+ bars, it’s a low carb chocolate bar, although — for some reason — the fiber content is only half the amount of sugar.
Green & Black’s 85% chocolate is real good, but not quite my favorite.
#8. Equal Exchange Organic Dark Chocolate – 80% Cacao
Size: 80g
Serving Size: 40g
Ingredients: Chocolate liquor, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter, ground vanilla beans
Fat: 19 g (12g saturated fat)
Total Carbs: 15g (8g sugar, 5g fiber)
This bar tastes great; it’s similar to the Alter Eco dark chocolate, even having the same ingredient profile.
However, it has more sugar and less cocoa butter – hence it is 80% cacao.
If you are well adjusted to the taste of dark chocolate, this tastes sweet.
If you’re in the process of trying to switch from milk chocolate to dark chocolate, then this is a great place to start.
Unlike the other bars, this one also seems to have a stronger vanilla flavor.
The only drawbacks compared to the other bars are the slightly higher sugar content and smaller size.
Best Dark Chocolate Bars
Green & Black’s, Endangered Species and Equal Exchange were all very close and may be preferred by some people for their unique qualities.
However, in my view, Vivani and Alter Eco are two of the very best dark chocolate brands out there.
Both these bars are 85% cacao and organic, with minimal ingredients and a great taste.
You can’t go wrong with either.
Sugar-Free, Keto-Friendly Chocolate Bars
For those who are looking for chocolate bars with zero sugar, then here are some dark chocolate bars that use sugar alternatives.
They are also “keto-friendly” options for people who follow that particular diet.
1) Montezuma: 100% Cacao Absolute Black
If you like your chocolate bitter, then this could be the right bar for you.
Montezuma’s ‘Absolute Black’ has zero sugar, and it does not use a sweetener to replace it either.
This one has a strong, bitter taste and a crunchy texture from the cocoa nibs it contains.
Ingredients: chocolate liquor, cacao nibs.
Type of chocolate: | Dark, bitter |
Bar Size: | 100 grams |
Main sweetener: | None |
Net carbs per 25g: | 2 grams |
Available online? | Yes: see here |
Benefits
- No sugars or sweeteners
- Very clean ingredients profile
Drawbacks
- Extremely bitter
2) Cavalier: Sweetened Milk Chocolate
Cavalier’s milk chocolate bar is the polar opposite to Montezuma, and it has a sweet and creamy taste.
Despite this, the bar contains no added sugars, and the sweet taste comes from a combination of stevia and erythritol.
Ingredients: Cocoa butter, milk powder, dextrin, inulin, oligofructose, cocoa powder, whey, erythritol, stevia, soy lecithin, natural flavoring.
Type of chocolate: | Milk, sweet |
Bar Size: | 85g |
Main sweetener: | Erythritol, stevia |
Net carbs per 25g: | 0.8 grams |
Available online? | Yes: see here |
Benefits
- Very low in net carbs
- Tastes good (if you like sweet things)
Drawbacks
- Contains unnecessary ingredients like soy lecithin, but nothing too bad.
3) Choc Zero: Sugar-Free Keto Bark
Choc Zero’s ‘Keto Bark’ product features dark chocolate sweetened with monk fruit, and it contains no digestible sugars or sugar alcohols.
The manufacturer also claims that the cocoa beans are stone-ground, and combined with vanilla beans; this gives the product a creamy texture.
This chocolate bar contains little bits of almonds and sea salt, giving it a pleasant flavor.
Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cocoa butter, soluble corn fiber, almonds, sea salt, sunflower lecithin, monk fruit extract, vanilla beans.
Type of chocolate: | Bittersweet |
Bar Size: | 28.5g |
Main sweetener: | Monk fruit |
Net carbs per 25g: | 1.8 grams |
Available online? | Yes: see here |
Benefits
- Contains one of the best “natural” sweeteners and it has no sugar or no artificial sweeteners.
- Dark chocolate, almonds, sea salt, and vanilla make a good flavor combination.
Drawbacks
- Stone-ground chocolate comes at a premium price.
4) Edge: Stevia-Sweetened Dark Chocolate Mini Bars
With a 78% cacao content, these sugar-free mini bars are keto-friendly, and they have a low carbohydrate content.
As it uses erythritol and stevia for sweetness, this chocolate won’t affect blood sugars (1).
As a result, these bars could be a good snack for people who do not want to worry about blood-glucose reactions.
Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cocoa butter, erythritol, vanilla beans, sunflower lecithin, stevia.
Type of chocolate: | Bittersweet |
Bar Size: | 10g |
Main sweetener: | Erythritol, stevia |
Net carbs per 25g: | 3.25 grams |
Available online? | Yes: see here |
Benefits
- Premium and flavorful ingredients such as cocoa beans, cocoa butter, and vanilla beans.
- No sugars or artificial sweeteners.
Drawbacks
- Some people suffer from allergies to sunflower lecithin, and it is an ingredient that is not important for the taste.
- Slightly higher in net carbs than other bars, but this is because it has a higher concentration of cocoa. Not necessarily a bad thing.
5) Innocent Chocolate: Zero-Sugar Bar
With a 60% cacao content, Innocent chocolate is keto-friendly, contains no sugar, soy, gluten, or dairy.
Additionally, this bar contains added fiber and protein, which could be a good thing if you are looking to increase your fiber intake.
Interestingly, the people who make this bar are a nonprofit company, and their earnings go to environmental restoration programs.
Ingredients: Cacao, yellow pea protein, erythritol, stevia, beta cyclodextrin, glycerol monooleate.
Type of chocolate: | Mildly sweet |
Size: | 37.5g |
Main sweetener: | Erythritol, stevia |
Net carbs per 25g: | Claims to be 0 g |
Available online? | Yes: see here |
Benefits
- Fairtrade ingredients.
- Supports a good cause (environmental conservation).
- No sugars or artificial sweeteners.
Drawbacks
- Added pea protein is not a common thing for a chocolate bar.
- The product claims to contain zero net carbs, but this is false since cocoa provides carbohydrate. That said, the exact level of net carbs is still likely to be very low.
6) KetoManna: Ketogenic Chocolate Fudge
Ketogenic chocolate fudge is a combination of coconut, cocoa, and MCT oil.
As a result, it offers something slightly different from the typical chocolate bar.
Each serving of this product provides 20 grams of fat, so it fits ketogenic diets.
Ingredients: Coconut, cocoa paste, MCT oil, inulin, pink Himalayan salt, monk fruit, vanilla.
Type of chocolate: | Moderately sweet |
Size: | 34g |
Main sweetener: | Monk fruit |
Net carbs per 25g: | 1.5 grams |
Available online? | Yes: see here |
Benefits
- Premium ingredients and no additional emulsifiers.
- A popular product which is known for its good taste.
- Based on the latest research, monk fruit is one of the best and safest sweeteners (2).
Drawbacks
- With the high-fat MCT contents of this chocolate, it may not be what some people are looking for in a chocolate bar.
7) Lily’s No-Sugar-Added Creamy “Milk Chocolaty” Bar
This bar claims to be creamy and “chocolaty,” and you can see why when you look at the ingredients.
In addition to cocoa butter, Lily’s chocolate contains whole milk powder and pure milk fat.
The cocoa content is 60%, which makes the bar quite sweet as it contains a fair bit of erythritol.
Although it has no added sugar, this bar does contain 1-gram of sugar from the milk.
Overall, the bulk of the sweet taste comes from erythritol and stevia, and Lily’s chocolate contains a minimal amount of net carbs.
Ingredients: Unsweetened chocolate, erythritol, inulin, dextrin, whole milk powder, milk fat, stevia, soy lecithin, vanilla.
Type of chocolate: | Moderately sweet |
Size: | 40g |
Main sweetener: | Erythritol, stevia |
Net carbs per 25g: | 1.9 grams |
Available online? | Yes: see here |
Benefits
- Good ingredients profile and a nice, creamy taste.
- This bar has an excellent texture; it feels like any other chocolate, but readily melts in your mouth.
Drawbacks
- Contains dairy and soy lecithin; some people may have sensitivities.
8) Cacao Nibs
First of all, cacao nibs are not really a chocolate bar, but I thought they deserve a place on the list.
The reason?
Cacao nibs are nothing other than pure, chopped cacao beans. This food is extremely nutrient dense, and a particularly good source of copper, iron, and magnesium (3).
Although cacao nibs contain carbohydrate, they are very high in fiber and contain no sugar, which makes them low in net carbs.
Ingredients: Unsweetened chocolate, erythritol, inulin, dextrin, whole milk powder, milk fat, stevia, soy lecithin, vanilla.
Type of chocolate: | Intensely bitter |
Size: | 454g |
Main sweetener: | None |
Net carbs per 25g: | 2.2 grams |
Available online? | Yes: see here |
Benefits
- 100% pure chocolate – cacao nibs are very nutritious and full of minerals.
Drawbacks
- 100% pure chocolate – they are very bitter.
9) Simply Lite: Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate
Simply Lite contains no added sugar, and it is extremely sweet since it contains more sweetener than it does cocoa.
The chocolate uses both vanilla and cinnamon for flavoring, which is always a tasty combination.
However, it is worth noting that maltitol is the choice of sweetener.
Although it is not technically classed as an added sugar, it is a carbohydrate that does have a glycemic response.
Therefore, despite the claims of this chocolate bar, I wouldn’t class it as keto-friendly.
Ingredients: Maltitol, cocoa, cocoa butter, inulin, soy lecithin, vanilla, cinnamon.
Type of chocolate: | Sweet |
Size: | 85g |
Main sweetener: | Maltitol |
Net carbs per 25g: | Claims to be 1 g |
Available online? | Yes: see here |
Benefits
- Decent tasting chocolate bar.
Drawbacks
- Maltitol can cause blood-glucose levels to spike, so this isn’t a good choice for anyone watching their blood sugars.
10) Bulletproof: Chocolate Fuel
Bulletproof is big business these days, and it has expanded the “butter in coffee” theme to sell all kinds of products.
Chocolate included.
So, how does Bulletproof chocolate perform?
As with all Bulletproof products, there are claims about how “pure” and “enriched” the chocolate is.
Ignoring the marketing talk, it seems a decent enough chocolate bar with good ingredients.
However, you have to pay extra for the brand name.
Ingredients: Cacao powder, cacao butter, xylitol, Bulletproof XCT oil powder, tapioca dextrin, tapioca, “lab-tested” vanilla beans.
Type of chocolate: | Moderately sweet |
Size: | 168g |
Main sweetener: | Xylitol |
Net carbs per 25g: | 3.1 grams |
Available online? | Yes: see here |
Benefits
- I have not tried this bar, but reviews highly praise the taste.
Drawbacks
- Contains xylitol, which can be fatal if ingested by dogs. Dog owners: be careful!
- Good, but overhyped ingredients.
11) Cavalier: Stevia-Sweetened Dark Chocolate With Berries
We saw Cavalier’s milk chocolate offering earlier, so here is their dark chocolate with berries bar.
Similar to their milk bar, this one contains zero grams of added sugar, and cocoa, erythritol, and stevia are the base ingredients.
However, this dark chocolate berries bar does contain a higher amount of net carbs due to freeze-dried berries being an ingredient.
Ingredients: Cocoa mass, dextrin, inulin, oligofructose, erythritol, stevia, cocoa butter, freeze-dried raspberries, freeze-dried blueberry powder, freeze-dried blackcurrants, soy lecithin, natural flavoring.
Type of chocolate: | Dark, mildly sweet |
Size: | 40g |
Main sweetener: | Erythritol, stevia |
Net carbs per 25g: | 1.6 grams |
Available online? | Yes: see here |
Benefits
- It’s a tasty bar and not too sweet, and the berries offer a nice flavor contrast.
- A keto-friendly bar that is still low in net carbs.
Drawbacks
- Contains unnecessary ingredients like lecithin and natural flavorings.
12) The Good Chocolate: 65% Dark Bar
‘The Good Chocolate’ is a handmade beans-to-bar chocolate product.
With a combination of erythritol and stevia for sweetness, this chocolate is 65% cocoa and contains just two net carbs per 70-gram bar.
In addition, the bar claims to be keto-friendly, soy-free, and organic.
Ingredients: Cacao beans, erythritol, cocoa butter, mesquite powder, stevia, vanilla.
Type of chocolate: | Dark but sweet |
Size: | 70g |
Main sweetener: | Erythritol, stevia |
Net carbs per 25g: | 0.7 grams |
Available online? | Yes: see here |
Benefits
- Excellent ingredient profile.
- Delicious taste with a sweet creamy vanilla flavor.
Drawbacks
- As with all bean-to-bar chocolate, the price is a little high.
13) Crotters’ Best: 99% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate
‘Crotters’ Best’ chocolate claims to be the perfect choice for people with diabetes.
This chocolate bar is sugar-free and contains no sugar alcohols, and it is 99% cacao.
Interestingly, the bar only contains three ingredients.
Ingredients: Cacao, vanilla extract, sucralose.
Type of chocolate: | Dark but sweet |
Size: | 42g |
Main sweetener: | Sucralose |
Net carbs per 25g: | 1.8 grams |
Available online? | Yes: see here |
Benefits
- Very simple – 99% cocoa and only three ingredients.
- I didn’t try this bar, but according to reviews, the taste is excellent.
Drawbacks
- The science is not settled on artificial sweeteners like sucralose. There is a lot of non-scientific fearmongering to wade through, but some studies suggest they may have a harmful effect on the human gut microbiota. More research is necessary (4, 5).
Final Thoughts
As shown in this article, there are numerous dark chocolate bars that taste great and offer a healthier alternative to regular chocolate.
In recent times the number of “keto-friendly chocolate” bars has also skyrocketed.
Some of these are healthy and tasty products, but some are more about marketing and high prices.
However, from the options shown in this list, there should be something for everyone.
What do u think about Callebaut 70% ? It’s a belgian chocolate
Not too bad, I usually prefer a little bit darker chocolate but it’s a lot better than most still.
I ‘ve never tried it personally, so I’m not sure about the taste! Is it good?
I bought a 100g bar of Vivani peppermint based on this review.
It was very nice to eat, but when I read the nutrition panel I was shocked to discover it said it contains 55.7g of carbohydrate per 100g!!
Oh no!
Unfortunately, not all bars are the same. It’s the ‘85% dark chocolate’ one you want!
At least you enjoyed it I suppose….
No problem! Hope you enjoy them 🙂
Vivani is the best. I buy it since years. I use to eat 92% and recently 99%
Love Vivani, but I’ve never had the 99% stuff. How is it?
Hi Michael,
as a huge craft chocolate lover, you should try names like Taza, French Broad Chocolates, Videri, etc.
They all craft bars ranging from 50% to high cacao percentages (90 – 100%) and rich in flavor (select varietals of cacao bean have a terroir like the best high-end wines).
Even though these chocolate bars have no organic certifications, you should consider that in the small- and micro-batch chocolate scene, those stickers can be meaningless without the right practices. Makers regularly travel to the origin to be sure farmers adopt good agricultural practices and especially to consolidate trade relationships (trust is fundamental for both the parties).
Just checked out those bars – they all look great.
However, probably unaffordable for many people ($7 for 40g is pretty expensive)
I’m sure they’re a nice choice for those with the money, though.
Me too – if you like that one the ‘Chocolove’ is pretty good too! Similarish but slightly different taste.
Trader Joe’s the Dark Chocolate Lovers Chocolate Bar is delicious. 85% cacao.Total carbs 13 for 40 grams 6 sugar 5 fiber.Half of that is very satisfying.
Not tried that one but it sounds good!
forgot to mention the price which was 1.79 per 100 g .
Just started a no carb diet in an attempt to lose weight before my holidays but I’m really craving chocolate! Do you know which shops stock the Endangered Species bar? X
That depends on where you are?
But I know Whole Foods do – or you can buy on Amazon!
There is zero evidence that eating chocolate of any description has any measurable overall health benefit.You can wave at data about antioxidants, but where is the data for chocolate ? If a little chocolate is “good”, then is more chocolate better ?
Rationalizing the consumption of chocolate by pointing out some of the ingredients may be “healthy”, while completely ignoring the damage caused by the carbohydrate content is deceptive.
The question you haven’t answered is whether you are better off eating a certain food, or not eating a food in terms of benefit or damage to your health.
If as you say “Sugar is possibly the most damaging food product in the human diet” then even small discretionary consumption of carbohydrates must be damaging to some extent.
Evidence wise, there are a fair few systematic reviews showing benefit from cacao/dark chocolate. To answer your question though; if a little chocolate is good, then no…more chocolate is not better.
The same goes for fruit, a cup of tea with a spoon of sugar, and so on. For example, if someone enjoys one cup of coffee per day with 1 teaspoon of sugar (around 4g) is it really so bad? 85% + dark chocolate in a reasonable serving (1oz) contains less than 1tsp.
I agree that sugar is worthless nutritionally, and the less the better, but in such a small amount it’s unlikely to cause harm. I’d also say the net benefits (lots of minerals – especially rich in magnesium and iron, polyphenols etc) far outweigh any potential negatives.
I appreciate your comments, however there is simply no evidence that dietary antioxidants have any positive impact on health (eg: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/antioxidants/).
Furthermore, antioxidants in vitro do not necessarily translate to antioxidants in vivo due to the complex metabolic process. Your body’s use of its own “oxidants” is a vital part of fighting disease and repairing damage (eg: https://news.osu.edu/news/2000/04/11/newpascal/). The case against antioxidant supplementation has considerable evidence in higher mortality and cancer rates – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22419320.
You state: “I’d also say the net benefits (lots of minerals – especially rich in magnesium and iron, polyphenols etc) far outweigh any potential negatives.”
That is a bold statement, unfortunately it’s not one supported by any evidence,
The idea that a small quantity of relatively low-carb chocolate is probably harmless (although your article does not recommend quantities safe to be consumed per day , especially for obese, pre-diabetic or diabetic people who read your articles)) , is a variation of the specious “everything in moderation” idea.
To be honest I don’t have much confidence in any supplementary antioxidants – there’s quite a bit of evidence that they can be harmful too.
Actually, I recently wrote a piece on the potential harms of vitamins and supplementary antioxidants here: https://nutritionadvance.com/vitamin-supplementation
If we’re going to look at studies, it would be more appropriate to look at studies actually on dark chocolate rather than vitamin E supplements etc though.
Here is a systematic review of RCTs that shows benefit for real food-based dark chocolate and cacao consumption in human subjects: http://medcraveonline.com/MOJPH/MOJPH-02-00023.pdf
There are also quite a few RCTs showing potential cardiovascular benefits.
Regarding dark chocolate having a safe limit – I think there is a case to say that about almost all foods.
Obviously even smaller amounts of sugar may be a concern to some well-informed diabetics and those struggling with metabolic disorders, but for the majority of people, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a bit of dark chocolate.
Green and Blacks currently at 14 carbs with 5 fiber and 5 sugar per serving. Mot sure if that was changed sonce the post but its my fave so far. Almost has a fruity hint.
Interesting – just checked the images online and they’re still saying 15g, so maybe they have changed by a gram?!
I’ll check the next time I go shopping!
Tell me where to find the Vivani. I have been looking for it and can’t find anyone who currently carries the Vivani 85%. I agree with you completely that it is the best I have found, with a nice balance of texture and taste.
Hi Dave,
I haven’t been able to find it recently either and it seems to be listed as “unavailable” everywhere.
If it becomes available again or I find a new source I’ll update this!
I also have high cholesterol, controlled, is dark chocolate recommended?
HI Ana,
For medical issues, you will need to discuss with your doctor.
If you want to read into the subject, there is a meta-analysis of randomized trials on dark chocolate and cholesterol here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51114109_Effects_of_cocoa_productsdark_chocolate_on_serum_lipids_A_meta-analysis
I think Lilly’s dark chocolate bar is one of the very, very best, and has no sugar at all, but is sweetened with stevia, ans tastes like a top-of-the-line chocolate bar. I hope you will include this one in your reviews in the near future.
Thanks for the tip, I’ll check out the Lilly’s bar!
Yes!!! Thank you! I LOVE chocolate and this helps so much! Sometimes it’s hard to find a good quality low carb chocolate bar!
Thanks, Lara! Is there anyone who doesn’t love chocolate??
Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Fairtrade 85% dark chocolate with cocoa from Equador, Ghana and Ivory Coast … Per 100g (5 portions!):
Fat 51g (32 saturates, 18 mono-unsaturates)
Carbs 16.8g (10.4 sugars)
Fiber 14.1!!
Which basically gives you 2g Net Carbs per 100g of chocolate … 1 gram net carbs per portion 20g which is satisfying enough … Tastes lovely, very smooth and you get 5 individually wrapped bars.
Totally recommend it !
Ingredients:
Cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sugar, soya lecithin, vanilla flavouring.
Sounds great! Vanilla always works well with dark chocolate.
Was that meant to be 2g net carbs per portion or per 100 grams?
carbs per 25g bar (5 in pack) 4.25, fibre 3.5g. – result 🙂
These are not low carb by any means. 1 – 3 carbs is low. You blow your low carb diet if you eat any of these brands.
Hi Jennifer,
Don’t forget that most of the carbs in cocoa are fibrous carbs and therefore not “net” (digestible) carbohydrate.
These options can fit into a low-carb diet as these diets can be anywhere up to around 100 grams of carbs per day.
On the other hand, for a very-low-carb ketogenic diet, these options may be more suitable: https://www.nutritionadvance.com/keto-friendly-sugar-free-chocolate-bars/
Honestly, the best brand to buy if you are seriously watching carbs is Sam’s Choice Swiss Dark Chocolate 90% cocoa. It $2 for a 3.5 oz bar at Walmart. The nutritional info is:
30g, 190 calories, 17g fat, 5g carbs, 4g fiber, and 3g protein.
At 5 total carbs, and 1 net, no other brand beats it.
That sounds good – not a bad price either!
You missed, by far, the best one: all organic, low monk sweetener, low carb, Keto oil….
Paleo Thin chocolate bars by Julian Bakery. Check them out!
What about Lily’s chocolate? I’ve heard and read that is good for low carb diets.
Lily’s is good too! Quite tasty as well.
I just purchased a Sams choice Swiss Dark Chocolate bar. 90% cocoa 30g serving. 17 g total fat total carbs=5g total sugars 3 g. Tastes good. Is it a good choice?
If it is 90% and tastes good then that sounds like a great choice!
I just tried it. It was so bitter!
Can you eat dark chocolate Kit Kat on a keto diet?
Depending on the overall carbohydrate intake over the day, that would be possible, but probably not advisable.
Ketogenic diets are ultra-low-carb diets, so a dark chocolate Kit Kat (which contains around 20 grams of carbohydrate) isn’t the best choice.
Is Toblerone Swiss Dark choco advisable for Keto?
That would be a little high in carbohydrates if you’re trying to follow a ketogenic diet.