So you've decided to eat a low-carb diet.
You've made an excellent decision for your health - on a ketogenic diet, you can lose weight rapidly and improve your overall well-being.
But you already know you will be giving up a lot of foods.
While you do not have to stop eating them entirely, you do need to reduce them to a bare minimum.
Sweets of course fall into that category.
Desserts tend to be high in carbohydrates since they contain a lot of sugar, and that includes chocolatey favourites like cakes, pies, ice creams, cookies and so on.
But do you really need to avoid chocolate while you are on a low carb diet?
In this article, we'll take a look at the pros and cons of chocolate, as well as which low-carb chocolates are best if you want to stick with your keto rules.
Types of Chocolate
Technically, chocolate isn't actually a sugary dessert in and of itself. This is surprisingly easy to forget.
It is simply a tasty ingredient which tends to be used in such sugary desserts.
You should be avoiding sugar, but chocolate itself is a different story.
To understand how chocolate can fit into a healthy keto diet, we need to examine its nutritional properties.
First of all, what is chocolate?Chocolate is a substance made out of seeds from the cacao tree, also called the cocoa tree and known scientifically as Theobroma cacao.
In order to make chocolate, the seeds must first be fermented, roasted and then ground up.
Chocolate may be a solid block, or it can take the form of a liquid or a paste.
People have been enjoying chocolate since at least 1900 BC.
There are a few common types of chocolate:
Baking chocolate
This is cocoa solids and cocoa butter combined without any form of sweetening.
Sometimes, this type of chocolate is also referred to as unsweetened chocolate or bitter chocolate.
Take note however that some products marketed as "baking chocolate" are in fact sweetened.
Milk chocolate
This is the type which most people are talking about by default when they mention "chocolate."
Milk chocolate is a sweetened form of chocolate which has condensed milk or milk powder added to it.
Both cocoa butter and cocoa solids are contained in milk chocolate.
White chocolate
This is a sweetened treat which contains milk, sugar, and cocoa butter. Unlike milk chocolate, there are no cocoa solids.
For this reason, it is debatable whether it actually should be classified as "chocolate" in a meaningful sense.
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is also a sweet chocolate, but it generally has a more bitter flavor than milk chocolate.
This is because it contains a higher percentage of cocoa solids. The more cocoa solids which are in dark chocolate, the more bitter it tastes.
Semi-sweet chocolate
This refers to a subset of dark chocolate which is low in sugar.
Bittersweet chocolate
A form of chocolate liquor to which sugar, vanilla and cocoa butter added may be known as bittersweet chocolate.
Raw chocolate
This form of baking chocolate is required to be 75% composed of cacao.
Not sure where chocolate liquor is?
This should not be confused with "chocolate liqueur." The former contains no alcohol, while the latter does.
Chocolate liquor is simply a paste consisting of roughly 50% cocoa solids and 50% cocoa butter.
Indeed, it is simply another way of referring to baking chocolate. When it is subjected to heat, it melts.
Is Cacao Different From Cocoa?
You will often see the words "cacao" and "cocoa" used interchangeably. But are they the same?
The answer seems to depend largely on who you ask.
Many people actually do use these two words interchangeably, so there is not always a definite difference between them.
Some people however use them in more specific way:
- Cacao refers to the raw, unprocessed substance.
- Cocoa on the other hand refers to cacao which has been alkalized. This process can reach nutrition out of the product.
So if you want to maximize your nutritional benefits, you may want to shop specifically for "cacao" products.
Just be aware that sometimes products labelled "cacao" might be processed, and in other cases, those labelled "cocoa" may not be, since these two words are so often interchanged.
For that reason, if it concerns you, I recommend that you check the product labeling to see if whether alkalizing has been used or not.
If you cannot find that information on the packaging, you can call the manufacturer and ask directly.
Nutritional Facts for Chocolate
Now that you are familiar with some of the basic types of chocolate you might see for sale, we can look at nutritional facts for a few of them.
Here is what is contained in 100 grams of milk chocolate ( 1):
- Calories: 535
- Carbohydrates: 59.4 g
- Sugars: 51.5 g
- Total fat: 29.7 g
- Saturated fat: 18.5 g
- Monounsaturated fat: 7.2 g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 1.4 g
- Omega-3 fatty acids: 122 mg
- Omega-6 fatty acids: 1218 mg
- Protein: 7.5 g
Here are some nutrients which milk chocolate contains notable amounts of:
- Riboflavin: 0.3 mg (18% DV)
- Vitamin B12: 0.7 mcg (12% DV)
- Calcium: 189 mg (19% DV)
- Iron: 2.4 mg (13% DV)
- Magnesium: 63.0 mg (16% DV)
- Phosphorus: 208 mg (21% DV)
- Potassium: 372 mg (11% DV)
- Zinc: 2.3 mg (15% DV)
- Copper: 0.5 mg (25% DV)
- Manganese: 0.5 mg (24% DV)
Dark Chocolate, 45-59% Cacao Solids
Here is what is contained in 100 grams of dark chocolate consisting of 45-59% cacao solids ( 2):
- Calories: 543
- Total carbohydrates: 61.8 g
- Sugars: 47.9 g
- Total fat: 30.6 g
- Saturated fat: 18.5 g
- Monounsaturated fat: 9.5 g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 1.1 g
- Omega-3 fatty acids: 86 mg
- Omega-6 fatty acids: 999 mg
- Protein: 4.9 g
This form of dark chocolate also contains:
- Iron: 8 mg (45% DV)
- Magnesium: 146 mg (37% DV)
- Phosphorus: 206 (21% DV)
- Potassium: 559 mg (16% DV)
- Zinc: 2 mg (13% DV)
- Copper: 1 mg (51% DV)
- Manganese: 1.4 mg (71% DV)
Dark Chocolate, 70-85% Cacao Solids
Here is what is contained in 100 grams of dark chocolate consisting of 70-85% cacao solids ( 3):
- Calories: 599
- Carbs: 45.8 g
- Sugars: 24 g
- Total fat: 42.7 g
- Saturated fat: 24.5 g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 1.3 g
- Monounsaturated fat: 12.8 g
- Omega-3 fatty acids: 34 mg
- Omega-6 fatty acids: 1218 mg
- Protein: 7.8 g
This type of dark chocolate also contains:
- Vitamin K: 7.3 mcg (9% DV)
- Iron: 11.9 mg (66%)
- Magnesium: 228 mg (57%)
- Phosphorus: 308 mg (31% DV)
- Potassium: 715 mg (20% DV)
- Zinc: 3.3 mg (22% DV)
- Copper: 1.8 mg (88%)
- Manganese: 1.9 mg (97%)
Baking Chocolate, Unsweetened, Squares
100 g of unsweetened baking chocolate has the following nutritional properties ( 4):
- Calories: 501
- Carbohydrates: 29.8 g
- Sugars: 0.9 g
- Total fat: 52.3 g
- Saturated fat: 32.4 g
- Monounsaturated fat: 16.1 g
- Omega-3 fatty acids: 117 mg
- Omega-6 fatty acids: 1437 mg
- Protein: 12.9 g
This much baking chocolate also provides you with the following nutritional benefits:
- Vitamin K: 9.7 mcg (12% DV)
- Thiamin: 0.1 mg (10% DV)
- Calcium: 101 mg (10%)
- Iron: 17.4 mg (97%)
- Magnesium: 327 mg (82%)
- Phosphorus: 400 mg (40%)
- Zinc: 9.6 mg (64%)
- Copper: 3.2 mg (162%)
- Selenium: 8.1 mcg (12%)
Comparing these nutritional facts for the different types of chocolates, you can make the following observations:
- Surprisingly, dark chocolate comprised of 45-59% actually has the highest carbohydrate content at 61.8 g. Milk chocolate's carb content is lower, at 59.4 g. Lower yet is dark chocolate with 70-85% cacao solids, with 45.8 g carbs. The lowest carb content by far is 29.8 for unsweetened chocolate.
- Baking chocolate is the most nutritionally dense form of chocolate. In general however, the nutrient content across the board is pretty similar. Chocolate isn't particularly high in vitamins, but it is a great source of minerals.
So, interestingly enough, you cannot apparently assume flat-out that dark chocolate is always a more keto-friendly choice than milk chocolate.
Not all dark chocolates are equal.
For this reason, you should actually check the nutritional information on the back of the package before you invest in any chocolate.
Make sure that the carbs really are within the range you are aiming for.
Is Chocolate Actually Bad For You?
You should be able to see just from reviewing the nutritional data above that calling chocolate "bad" for you is an oversimplification.
Chocolate obviously is quite nutritious in some respects.
Still, there is a tendency for people to think of it as unhealthy since it often shows up in unhealthy dessert dishes.
Let's consider based on the information above a few ways in which chocolate is unhealthy:
- Omega-6 fatty acids significantly outweigh omega-3 fatty acids. This is a pro-inflammatory ratio.
- The carbs can add up fast if you are eating a lot of chocolate. Of course, if you are keeping it to a minimum, they are not so problematic. A single square of unsweetened chocolate for example only contains 8.7 total carbs.
Beyond that, most of the news is good.
Consider the fat profile for example. Only a relatively small percentage is comprised of polyunsaturated fat.
That is great, because that type of fat contains less stable bonds, and is thus not as good for you as other types of fat.
Obviously the protein and mineral content of chocolate is beneficial.
So you do not want to overindulge, but eating a reasonable amount of chocolate as part of your regular diet should not be harmful, especially if you are balancing it out by eating other foods which are rich in omega-3 anti-inflammatory fatty acids.
But Wait ... Is Chocolate Contaminated With Heavy Metals?
Back in 2015, a consumer watchdog called As You Sow tested more than 120 different chocolate products, and discovered that 96 of them were contaminated with more cadmium and/or lead than is safely permitted by Proposition 65 in California.
Very few brands escaped unscathed from As You Sow's tests.
That includes huge brands like Hershey's, Trader Joe's, and Ghirardelli, and smaller, more specialized brands like Equal Exchange and Endangered Species.
You can view the results of the tests directly on As You Sow's website ( 17).
You can also read an article the Washington Post ran on this topic ( 18).
Now, it is important to keep in mind that this was several years ago.
These companies have had time to change their sourcing and manufacturing processes and/or label their products correctly with the required warnings.
This was very big news when it broke.
You will notice this when you read product reviews and customer questions and answers for chocolates while shopping online.
A lot of buyers are asking about heavy metal toxicity.
My recommendation is to do your own research.
If there is a company you are thinking of buying chocolate for, see if that company has provided any updates on its chocolate toxicity issues, and find out what kind of testing they may be doing to prevent contaminated products from reaching the market.
Health Benefits of Chocolate
Now that you know you do not need to be afraid of chocolate, let's talk about some of its advantages for health:
- Ingredients in chocolate can help you lose weight and potentially prevent diabetes (11, 12).
- Chocolate has benefits for cardiovascular health (13, 14, 15)
- Eating chocolate supports brain health (14, 15).
- You can get a very real boost to your mood from eating chocolate (16).
- Chocolate is dense with nutrition (3).
- The polyphenols in dark chocolate can reduce oxidized LDL (19).
- Eating dark chocolate may protect your skin from the sun (20).
- HDL levels improve thanks to dark chocolate (21).
- You can improve blood pressure by eating dark chocolate (22).
- It is possible that eating dark chocolate may even help to prevent cancer (23).
- Reduce the risk of stroke as well as blood clots (24).
- Chocolate may be good for your eyes (25).
To examine these benefits in detail, read our article 13 benefits of dark chocolate.
Buying the Right Chocolate for a Keto Diet
Now that you know more about both the good and the bad concerning chocolate and health, and you are aware of the different types of chocolate as well as some of the nutritional variations between them, we can come up with a shortlist of action tips to help you choose the right chocolate when you're shopping.
Dark chocolate is often a more keto-friendly choice that milk chocolate or white chocolate.
While dark chocolate is usually preferable to milk chocolate, it depends on the concentrations of the different ingredients, so you should always check the nutritional information on the back to find out how many carbohydrates are really in a serving.
Try looking for semi-sweet chocolate.
This type of dark chocolate specifically has a low sugar content, and may be superior over other forms of dark chocolate for a keto diet.
Consider simply buying unsweetened baking chocolate if you are preparing a recipe.
This gives you the option of using an alternative sweetener while preparing food or beverages, keeping sugar to the absolute minimum.
Just keep in mind that this is not the best choice if you are simply looking for some chocolate too much on. For that, dark chocolate is preferred.
Watch out for unnecessary additives. Sugar is not the only thing you want to avoid on a keto diet.
You also want to avoid unwanted artificial ingredients.
Be aware of the possibility of heavy metal contamination.
If in doubt, look for recent testing data for lead, cadmium and other heavy metals for the chocolate brand you are thinking of purchasing.
Do not neglect flavor and texture.
While nutrition is your primary concern, flavor and texture can vary quite a bit between brands, so that is something else to consider while you are shopping.
Top 13 Low Carb Keto Chocolates
To save you time in your search for the most low-carb keto-friendly chocolates, I have done some research to bring you some of the best options which are currently out there.
I have also included total and net carbs for easy comparison.
Dark Chocolates
Baking Chocolates
From 100 g:Other Chocolates
Conclusion: You Do Not Have to Sacrifice Chocolate on a Ketogenic Diet
It is true that while eating a low-carb keto diet you will need to avoid a lot of traditional desserts, but that does not mean that you have to give up chocolate in the bargain.
Unsweetened chocolate is not nearly as high in carbohydrates as you might think.
So long as you stick with this type of chocolate for your recipes, or you select low-carb dark chocolate to snack on, you should be able to enjoy chocolate on a regular basis without going over your daily carb limit.