Do you like to enjoy your life?
I’m guessing you do and so do I. Which is why I eat dark chocolate a couple times a week.
I’m on a eating program right now to lose fat and dark chocolate makes eating in a deficit manageable!
I’ve managed to still lose weight even though I eat dark chocolate a couple times a week.
We don’t have to cut out all sweets to maintain a good body or to lose weight.
Which brings us to this article where we’ll go over what dark chocolate is (I’m sure you know what it is but I’ll share some details you may not have known too), why it’s good for you, how it’s made and then I’ll share with you 4 dark chocolate brands that I recommend.
What Is Dark Chocolate?
Dark chocolate is chocolate without the milk solids.
It’s made up of cacao beans, sugar and some type of emulsifier to hold everything together. Some of the dark chocolate bars also have flavor additives such as peppermint or vanilla.
As someone who adheres to the Paleo diet I’m looking out for foods that stick to it’s restrictions. A question I ask is whether or not the food has milk and my first instinct when I came across dark chocolate was to ask “is dark chocolate dairy free?” It is, and dark chocolate is Paleo.
Just have to watch out for the sugar content of some brands.
Why Is Dark Chocolate Good For You?
We hear this all the time but why exactly is dark chocolate good for you?
Dark chocolate is good for you for a few reasons, the main ones being that it contains antioxidants and polyphenols which have superb health and anti-inflammatory benefits.
The antioxidants help reduce free radicals, which aren’t good for you. The polyphenols help switch on anti-inflammatory activities through signaling pathways in your body.
It also helps with reduced risk of death from heart disease.
How Is Dark Chocolate Made?
At the brand scale the process has multiple procedures. Or you can easily make dark chocolate at home.
I found this video from a chocolate company that shows how chocolate is made, enjoy:
The Best Dark Chocolate
I have tried numerous dark chocolate brands and have come across these 4 to be the best. What I look for is the taste, low additives or added sugar and what the company’s history/story is.
At the end I’ll give a recommendation of how to get started and which one to go with.
1. Theo Dark Chocolate
It’s free from fillers and chemicals, all natural, gluten free. soy free and has no trans fats. They are organic and fair-trade chocolate.
They aren’t going to taste like a Snickers or Reese’s bar but for a healthier sweet option these are great!
The company is built to create a positive culture in everything they do. They’re transparent about their process, how they make their food and ensure it’s produced in a way that’s ethical and environmentally sustainable.
Flavor: 3.5 / 5
Healthiness: 4 / 5
Cons: High sugar compared to other dark chocolate
2. Lindt
These have an amazing taste (analyzing specifically the 85% chocolate bar) and a plethora of flavors to pick from.
Dark chocolate nutrition facts: If you look at the nutrition on it (85% bar) you’ll notice the sugars are significantly less than other chocolate bars with higher fiber too. Only 5g of sugar with 6g of fiber, great to see fiber count higher than sugar.
Flavor: 4 / 5
Healthiness: 3.5 / 5
Cons: From doing some research, it seems some of their flavors are proceeded with alkali and if that happens the dark chocolate loses some of it’s health benefits.
3. Ghirardelli Squares
Here, I’m specifically referring to their 60% or above dark chocolate squares that I’ve never had before but after exploring more of the dark chocolates out there I came across this one and highly recommend.
They’ve also been around since the mid 1800’s, celebrating 167 years in business.
The name speaks for itself but what’s great about the Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares is that it’s easier to stop eating and hold yourself accountable. It’s easier to stop eating and therefore stop binging, maybe that’s just me, on chocolate because they’re individually wrapped for just one square versus other chocolate that comes as a whole bar.
They’re great for grabbing a few to bring on the go too because they are individually wrapped.
Flavor: 4.5 / 5
Healthiness: 3.5 / 5
Cons: Loaded with sugar (60% dark), highest sugar containing chocolate here
4. Endangered Species
They ensure fairness for their farmers and families they work with through fair trade. They have a strong mission to take care of society as a whole with every layer of the business.
They’ve given $1.4 million to support conservation efforts for endangered species and continue to aid the cause by giving back 10% of their profits to their GiveBack partners, which help this.
I like this company because of their good works for society and also the chocolate they have carries a powerful punch of flavor. My favorite is the peppermint because it helps soothe my bad digestion.
Flavor: 4 / 5
Healthiness: 4 / 5
Cons: They put in added sugar which some of the other chocolate brands here don’t
Getting Started
Those are my favorite dark chocolate bar brands and which ones I’ve found that are decently healthy, have great taste and not too expensive.
If you’re not sure which one to start with just pick one package that grabs your attention and try it out.
If you still can’t decide go with Theo Dark Chocolate – healthy choice with great flavor and a less known brand that you may not have otherwise tried yet.
Leave a comment below to let me know which one of these is your favorite!
Disclaimers
I am not a doctor and do not recommend anything on this site, or blog post, for anyone without consulting with their doctor first. Please read the privacy policy for more information.
There are affiliate links in this post where I’ll get a paid fee if you purchase something from that link – it won’t cost any more to you and in some cases may even save you money.
definitely the right chocolate guide!!! Thank you!