Does Chocolate Make You Fat?

Does chocolate make you fat? My first answer would be “it depends on the quantity”. Because no, you will not get fat if you eat chocolate from time to time or at most 2 squares a day, if it is your only sweet of the day, and if you are used to eating a balanced diet.

On the other hand, yes, if you eat half a chocolate bar every night, there is a high risk of getting fat.

But what type of chocolate is the least fattening?

In terms of energy intake, the 3 types of chocolate have an insignificant difference ranging from 555kcal/100g* for milk chocolate, 563kcal/100g* for white chocolate, and 572kcal/100g* for dark chocolate. The difference is all the more insignificant as you will probably not eat (at least I hope not) the 100g chocolate bar. This can be explained by the fact that dark chocolate contains more fat and the two other chocolates are much sweeter.

And for your health, which chocolate should you choose?

Dark chocolate is rich in fiber.

It is the only one of the three types of chocolate to be considered rich in fiber. It provides 11.9 g* of fiber per 100 g, or 1.2 g of fiber per 10 g (about 2 pieces of chocolate) consumed.

Dark chocolate is rich in polyphenol.

The richer dark chocolate is in cocoa paste, the more polyphenols it contains. Polyphenols are compounds naturally present in cocoa. They have antioxidant properties that help fight against oxidative stress in the body’s cells and, in the long run, help limit the development of cardiovascular diseases and cancers. They are found in other foods such as green tea, strawberries, artichokes, pomegranate, and many other fruits and vegetables.

Dark chocolate is rich in magnesium.

Magnesium is an essential mineral for the proper functioning of the body. The recommended nutritional intake of magnesium is 420mg/day for men and 360mg/day for women. Two squares of dark chocolate (about 10g) provide about 18mg* of magnesium.

The other minerals and vitamins, even if they are present, are too low in quantity to have a real impact on health. This is the case of iron in dark chocolate or calcium in white and milk chocolate.

What about praline chocolate?

Praline chocolate will contain more sugar than a classic chocolate bar. However, the fact that it contains hazelnuts and almonds is interesting, even if the quantity is too small to have a real impact on health. If you want a chocolate that is good for your health, and you like the crunchiness of praline chocolates, think about dark chocolate with hazelnuts or whole almonds: in addition to the benefits of dark chocolate, these nuts will provide you with vitamins of B group and E.

Conclusion

If you are reasonable (without exceeding 2 squares per day), and as part of a balanced diet, chocolate will not make you fat. Don’t deprive yourself of it because eating chocolate, especially dark chocolate, in addition to being a pleasure that you have surely deserved, is good for your health, unlike candy that will bring you empty calories, that is, a caloric intake without vitamins or minerals.

If you are going to indulge yourself, it might as well be good for your health.

• Also read: Body Mass Index ( BMI )