Let’s address the common question: Is chocolate healthy for you? Americans eat an average of 10-12 pounds of chocolate per year, that is 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate consumed by our country annually.1 Let’s look at the nutrient benefits of eating chocolate, what makes chocolate unhealthy, and how to include chocolate in our diets in a healthy way.

Nutrient Benefits of Chocolate
I’m sure I don’t have to convince you that chocolate is a source of joy. When it hits your tongue and starts to melt in your mouth, chocolate’s rich flavor provides a satisfying food experience like no other. To further confirm that chocolate is superior, let’s look at the nutrient benefits of reveling in eating a piece or two of chocolate.
Dark, Milk or White Chocolate?
But first, let’s clarify which chocolates are considered healthy. Since the nutrient benefits are found in the cacao, chocolates that have more cacao are going to be healthier. This means that the darker the chocolate, the more beneficial nutrition it provides.
White chocolate only contains the fat from cocoa beans and does not have cacao. Dark and milk chocolate do contain the actual cacao. Chocolate is considered dark chocolate when greater than 50% of it is made from the cacao plant. Milk chocolate is made of less than 50% cacao but must have at least 10% cacao.
Okay, let’s jump into the benefits of eating chocolate now!
Benefit #1: Phytochemicals
Cacao contains phytochemicals, which are chemicals that plants produce. When we consume phytochemicals in our foods they offer us protection by reducing our risk of developing chronic health issues. Cocoa beans contain a phytochemical called polyphenols, and polyphenols account for 6-8% of the cocoa bean by dry weight.2 The most abundant polyphenols in cacao beans are flavonoids. In general, flavonoids protect our heart health by lowering blood pressure and providing antioxidant protection.
Benefit #2: Minerals
Chocolate has several minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and selenium. When you choose darker chocolate, you will receive more minerals per serving compared to chocolate with less cacao. You can see in the table below that chocolate with 70-85% cacao contains more of every mineral, with the exception of selenium.
Minerals Present in 1 oz of Chocolate
Note: minerals are rounded to nearest whole number, with the exceptions of zinc and selenium, which are rounded to the nearest hundredths place.4
Mineral | 70-85% Cacao | 60-69% Cacao | 45-59% Cacao |
Calcium | 21 mg | 18 mg | 16 mg |
Iron | 3 mg | 2 mg | 2 mg |
Magnesium | 65 mg | 50 mg | 41 mg |
Phosphorus | 87 mg | 74 mg | 58 mg |
Potassium | 203 mg | 161 mg | 158 mg |
Zinc | 0.94 mg | 0.75 mg | 0.57 mg |
Selenium | 1.93 mcg | 2.38 mcg | 0.85 mcg |
Benefit #3: Fiber
Cacao also contains fiber, so the darker the chocolate, the more fiber it provides. For example, a milk chocolate candy bar that is 50 gm in weight may provide 1.7 gm of fiber while a chocolate bar that has 70-85% cacao, of similar weight, may contain about 5.5 gm of fiber.
This is one reason why I also like to use cocoa powder when I bake. One tablespoon of cocoa powder adds 2 gm of fiber to the recipe. Adding 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of cocoa powder to a quick bread or cake adds 8-16 gm of fiber to the recipe, respectively.
Benefit #4: Mood Boosting
Do you find yourself reaching for chocolate when you are feeling down or generally in a bad mood? I know I do! Researchers have been looking into chocolate’s effects on mood. While we need more research to confirm early findings, one study showed that consuming 30 gm/day of 85% chocolate significantly reduced negative emotions when compared to those that ate 30 mg/day of 70% chocolate or milk chocolate. These findings were then related to the increased biodiversity of gut bacteria after participants ate 85% chocolate. Our gut bacteria can effect our mood through our gut brain-axis. (The gut brain axis is a connection between our gastrointestinal system and our nervous system).3 But I digress. I love when research confirms what we know intuitively, and I think we all know from experience, that chocolate is a mood booster for many of us. I look forward to seeing whether new research confirms these findings.
What Makes Chocolate Unhealthy?
Saturated Fats
As saturated fats are the main cause of high blood cholesterol, we need to be mindful of foods that have saturated fats. One ounce of chocolate with 70-85% cacao contains about 7 gm of saturated fat, whereas one ounce of chocolate with 60-69% cacao contains 6 gm of saturated fats, and one ounce of 45-59% cacao contains 5 gm of saturated fats.
For many people 7 gm of saturated fat is already nearing half their daily limit for saturated fat intake. One way to handle this is to decrease the portion size to 1/2 ounce, which is about 1/3 of a normal size chocolate bar.
The other thing we can do to include chocolate in our diets is to make sure we are following a generally healthy diet. When you eat healthy balanced meals and snacks throughout the day, it is easier to fit in favorite treats that we genuinely desire and enjoy.
Added Sugars
When we choose to eat milk chocolate, or candy bars that have some chocolate in them (i.e. Snickers bars, Reese’s peanut butter cups, etc. etc.), we are going to be consuming more added sugars and fats. Likewise, when we eat chocolate in dessert form, such as in cakes, pies, cookies ice cream and milkshakes, those will also come packaged with unnecessary “extras” like added sugars, additional fats, and refined carbohydrates.
If you truly enjoy chocolate, try to take advantage of its health benefits without adding all of the “extras.” Enjoy a piece of dark chocolate by itself. Or find another minimal way to enjoy chocolate. I really enjoy eating dark chocolate covered almonds that are sprinkled with some sea salt. The almonds add extra calories, but they also offer monounsaturated fats, protein and fiber that are considered heart healthy.
Large Portion Size
This may go without saying, but when you eat a large portion of chocolate, it can contribute significantly to your total calorie intake and your saturated fat intake. And if you are choosing milk chocolates, eating a larger portion will further increase the amount of added sugars you are eating. Like all good things, eating chocolate in moderation is key to enjoying it in and staying healthy.
Heavy Metals
Cocoa beans can be exposed to cadmium from the soil they are grown in and they can be exposed to lead from outdoor elements while being dried and fermented. I wrote an article about this last year. You can read more about that here if you would like to learn more. You can also view a list of chocolates that have less heavy metals, per Consumer Reports’ findings. As consumers, we must stay informed!
How to Include Chocolate in Our Diets in a Healthy Way
After breaking down the health benefits of chocolate, and the potential unhealthy side of chocolate, there are some practical ways you can include chocolate in your diet as part of a healthy balanced diet. Here’s a brief overview of what you can do:
- Choose darker chocolates that have 70-85% cacao– if you do not currently like dark chocolate, try to slowly introduce darker chocolates by choosing chocolate with 50% cacao, then increase to 60% cacao, and eventually increase to 70-85% cacao. Over time you may just find you really do enjoy dark chocolate!
- Eat chocolate in healthy portions sizes– limit to 1/2 to 1 oz servings, once a day. This will decrease how much saturated fats and added sugars you will consume from chocolate, but still allow you to eat and enjoy chocolate.
- Savor it– eat chocolate in a mindful way, so that you can actually enjoy it and experience it. If we are distracted and multi tasking while eating, we tend to eat more of a food to fully experience it.
- Consider eating plain chocolate or simple forms of chocolate more often than candy bars, cakes, cookies and other desserts.
- Choose chocolates that have less cadmium and lead
- Eat a well balanced diet at meals and snacks– this allows room for favorite treats you enjoy, such as chocolate!
Check out My Recipes That Feature Chocolate
I love chocolate, so naturally I have created several recipes that feature chocolate. You can find my Chocolate Raspberry Cake recipe here, which is perfect for Valentine’s Day, or any other day of the year.

I also have a recipe for Dark Hot Chocolate and for a Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie.


Let me know if you try any of my recipes!
Sources
- Kinder, A. (2024, October, 25). The scariest thing this Halloween might be chocolate prices. The Food Institute.
- Rimbach, G. et al. (2009). Polyphenols from Cocoa and Vascular Health—A Critical Review. International Journal of Molecular Science, 10 (10), 4290–4309.
- Shin, J. et al. (2022). Consumption of 85% cocoa dark chocolate improves mood in association with gut microbial changes in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, volume 99.
- “FoodData Central.” FoodData Central, fdc.nal.usda.gov/. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
Leave a Reply