High-quality dark chocolate is a very nutritious, slightly sweet, delicious treat for the keto dieter.
Dark chocolate is loaded with minerals and antioxidants and includes a fair amount of fiber.
But with so many carbohydrates (11.6g per 100g serving) how can dark chocolate have a place in the keto diet? Here we’re going to talk about enjoying dark chocolate as part of the keto diet.
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First, what is dark chocolate?
Dark chocolate is a mixture of cocoa, fat, and sugar. It’s different from milk chocolate. Milk chocolate is made with milk solids, more sugar, and more cocoa.
Some sugar is used in the production of dark chocolate to offset the cocoa’s bitterness. But far less sugar is used than what’s used in milk chocolate.
However, not all dark chocolate is the same. Each bar of dark chocolate can vary in how much cocoa and sugar are used. The amount of cacao found in a bar determines how dark the chocolate will be and its quality.
Related reading: “Cocoa and Chocolate in Human Health and Disease“
Generally speaking, a quality bar of dark chocolate will contain at least 70% cocoa, usually producing a bar with less sugar as well. These higher-quality bars are especially rich in flavonoids. Flavonoids are a strong antioxidant and dark chocolate contains more of it than red wine, black tea, or apples.
Related reading: “Flavonoids: an overview“
Because dark chocolate is so full of flavonoids it has been associated with many health benefits. These benefits include a lower risk of heart disease and improved brain functions.
Related reading:
“Chocolate consumption is inversely associated with a calcified atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries: the NHLBI Family Heart Study“
“The effect of flavanol-rich cocoa on the fMRI response to a cognitive task in healthy young people“
The carbohydrates in dark chocolate
Most sweets contain a lot of carbohydrates and have to be radically restricted by the keto diet. But in comparison, high-quality dark chocolate contains fewer carbs. For example, an ounce of 70-80% dark chocolate may have 13g of carbs with 3g of fiber, resulting in about 10g of net carbs.
Fiber is a carb we can’t fully digest. Because of that, we can subtract it from the listed carbohydrates.
Are dark chocolate and keto dieting compatible?
You can enjoy the delights of high-quality dark chocolate so long as it doesn’t exceed your daily carb limit. The standard keto diet limits your carb intake to just five percent of your calorie intake. Therefore you would be limited to 25g of carbs on a 2000 calorie/day diet. So one ounce of chocolate would be about 40% of your daily carbohydrates for the day.
Related reading: “How To Make A Keto Meal Plan“
It really depends on what else you eat during the day. If you want to have some dark chocolate you’ll have to plan your food for the day accordingly.
Having said that, keep in mind that portion control is key. Because an ounce of chocolate isn’t a whole lot you can easily find yourself eating too much chocolate and knocking yourself out of ketosis.
Wrapping it up
Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants. It’s made from cocoa, fat, and sugar and contains less sugar than milk chocolate. The higher the cocoa percentage the better the quality.
An ounce of 70-80% dark chocolate may have 13g of carbs with 3g of fiber, resulting in about 10g of net carbs.
There’s room for dark chocolate and keto dieting if your dark chocolate is at least 70 percent cocoa in a keto diet. But portion control is key to avoid consuming excessive carbs.
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