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dark chocolate

M

MarcR

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
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I'm just wondering what people think is a safe amount of dark chocolate to eat. I bought a 100% bar with no sugar, but to be honest I felt like spitting it out. I've bought a different one 90% with a bit of sugar. Looking at the back 100g with 10 pieces has about 15g of carbs of which 7g is sugar and about 600kcal. So I'm thinking one piece is about 60kcal which seems a lot, so maybe half a piece might be safe at 30kcal?
 
I buy the 85% from Lidl and have one or two squares (2.7g carbs per square) I don't worry about calories.
It's very rich and not at all sweet, so I doubt anyone would want to eat a whole bar of it.
 
I am similar although I buy the Lidl 70% and I break one square into 4 and eat each piece with a bit of crunchy peanut butter to make it more satisfying. I too don't count or worry about calories, just carbs and 1 square is about 5g carbs.
 
I don't know what you mean by a 'safe amount' but like others I buy 85% dark and have 2 or sometimes 3 squares a day, and not all at once. What I take into account, with one eye on cholesterol levels, is the saturated fat content. Eating the whole bar would use up almost your entire RDA for saturated fat.
 
rebrascora said:
I am similar although I buy the Lidl 70% and I break one square into 4 and eat each piece with a bit of crunchy peanut butter to make it more satisfying. I too don't count or worry about calories, just carbs and 1 square is about 5g carbs.
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Sound like a good idea, although I think one square has the same calories as an egg. It's my birthday on Thursday so I might have a square lol.
 
Unless you are on the Pathway to Remission Program which is a very low calorie approach most of us on a low carb way of eating don't worry about calories and just track carbs. Too complicated and mentally restrictive to do both in my view and this has to be sustainable for life. If I keep the carbs low, I can afford to have more calories so I simply don't worry about them. It is the higher fat foods like cheese and cream in my morning coffee and peanut butter which make the way of eating enjoyable and if it isn't enjoyable I will struggle to stick to it. Plus my body seems to be much happier running on fat instead of carbs as quite a few other long standing health issues resolved or improved when I changed my diet including joints and skin and migraines and gut health.

That said, I would be extremely surprised if there was the same amount of calories in one square of 70% chocolate as there is in an egg..... Heading off to the kitchen to get info off the label to compare.....
 
Yes, you are right! That is really surprising! 68 calories per square in my 70% choc and 70 in a large egg.

I have to be honest in saying that I really have no idea of calories as I have never counted them. I have only ever looked at carbs.
 
rebrascora said:
Unless you are on the Pathway to Remission Program which is a very low calorie approach most of us on a low carb way of eating don't worry about calories and just track carbs. Too complicated and mentally restrictive to do both in my view and this has to be sustainable for life. If I keep the carbs low, I can afford to have more calories so I simply don't worry about them. It is the higher fat foods like cheese and cream in my morning coffee and peanut butter which make the way of eating enjoyable and if it isn't enjoyable I will struggle to stick to it. Plus my body seems to be much happier running on fat instead of carbs as quite a few other long standing health issues resolved or improved when I changed my diet including joints and skin and migraines and gut health.

That said, I would be extremely surprised if there was the same amount of calories in one square of 70% chocolate as there is in an egg..... Heading off to the kitchen to get info off the label to compare.....
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I watch calories and carbs, but if my weight gets to under the middle of the normal BMI I might ease up a bit. Perhaps if I have one square a week it might be OK, I just think how much more nutrition is in an egg or small slice of cheese.
 
MarcR said:
I watch calories and carbs, but if my weight gets to under the middle of the normal BMI I might ease up a bit. Perhaps if I have one square a week it might be OK, I just think how much more nutrition is in an egg or small slice of cheese.
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I have 100% dark chocolate, break it into small pieces and put it all into a bowl As a little goes a very long way (and I think it is quite high in saturated fats and is also rather rich) the bowl stays full for quite a while. I steer clear of milk chocolate. I don't bother with calories, carbs and saturated fats are enough for me to consider.
 
I too watch my calories just to make sure that I am taking in enough to support what can be a quite an active lifestyle (running, gym, golf and walking) but when it comes to chocolate, happy to eat up to 3 batons over a day of Hotel Chocolat 70% and 85% dark chocolate and one square of the Lindt 85% dark.
 
I get the 85% from lidl or asda.....2 squares is my night time 'treat' when watching telly

I dont count calories either......which makes mondays interesting as i go to a weight loss clinic at the health centre......they are all going on about how many calories are in things and i say 'im not bothered.. whats the carbs?' :rofl:
 
rebrascora said:
Unless you are on the Pathway to Remission Program which is a very low calorie approach most of us on a low carb way of eating don't worry about calories and just track carbs.
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As is often mentioned on this forum, we are a mixed church. Or, as it says at the top of every page, “everyone manages their health differently.”
 
JimmyBlue said:
I too watch my calories just to make sure that I am taking in enough to support what can be a quite an active lifestyle (running, gym, golf and walking) but when it comes to chocolate, happy to eat up to 3 batons over a day of Hotel Chocolat 70% and 85% dark chocolate and one square of the Lindt 85% dark.
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I treated myself to some Hotel Chocolat batons a few weeks ago, very nice
 
I tried 100% first, but definitely couldn't get on with that. Next 90% lindt which was OK, but not really sweet enough to be a treat, so I've ordered some 85% lindt. I figure one square in a day, is about a third of a teaspoon of sugar, and probably won't have one every day anyway. I think reading all these books about the dangers of being overweight and fatty liver caused by sugar has scared me off too much sugar!
 
I have always preferred at least 70% cocoa content. I don't get the same hit from milk chocolate. If it's rich enough 1 or 2 squares satisfies my chocolate urge. As a variation I melt it and drizzle over a few strawberries.
 
silver minion said:
I have always preferred at least 70% cocoa content. I don't get the same hit from milk chocolate. If it's rich enough 1 or 2 squares satisfies my chocolate urge. As a variation I melt it and drizzle over a few strawberries.
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I will see how the 85% goes, but the sugar seems to double, 7g for 90%, 15g for 85%, 29g for 70%.
 
I'm can't decide whether I like the 90% or 85% better! The 90% is more powerful somehow, the 85% sweeter but milder too. A difficult conundrum 🙂
 
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