Revealed: The ‘healthier’ dark chocolate that’s fattier than Dairy Milk, and more calorific than a Mars bar – is going dark REALLY better for you?

The UK has officially reached peak dark chocolate. 

Forget 60, 70 or 80 per cent cocoa varieties – chocolatier supremo Lindt has now dropped a 100 per cent strength version. 

The confectionery firm says the launch is designed to meet soaring demand for dark chocolate, driven by the desire for ‘lower sugar, wellness-friendly’ options.

But how good for you is dark chocolate?

The supposed healthful properties lie with compounds called flavanols within cocoa beans, which boast heart health effects. 

‘Flavanols are strongly linked to reduced blood pressure,’ says dietician Clare Thornton-Wood. ‘They’re also antioxidants, which can neutralise harmful compounds in the blood called free radicals, which are associated with a host of diseases.’

But the quantity of flavanols varies widely between products – and the small benefit is often cancelled out by large quantities of fat and sugar. 

So should we all be aiming for 100 per cent cocoa? Here, we analyse seven favourites of varying cocoa percentages, and reveal if going dark really is better than a bar of Dairy Milk. 

Lindt Excellence 100%, £3.50

Per four squares: 123 calories, 6.8g saturated fat, 0.1g sugar 

The first detail to note about Lindt’s 100 per cent cocoa offering is that it is uniquely lightweight. In other words, while one square might have the same height and length as the 70 per cent version, it’s far lighter. 

In fact, the 100 per cent version contains just 50g of chocolate, compared to 100g in the 70, 85 and 90 per cent packets.

So, four squares feel far less satisfying. 

While the barely there sugar count is impressive, the manufacturers provide a generous fat content to ensure there’s no loss in flavour. 

In fact, there’s more saturated fat here than you’ll find in many 60 per cent cocoa bars – including Asda’s offering below – and roughly the same as you’ll find in a Twix.

However, Ms Thornton-Wood says the fat in this bar will bring unique benefits.

‘If a bar is 70 per cent cocoa, the remaining 30 per cent is usually made up of pure fat and sugar,’ she says.

‘But with a 100 per cent bar the saturated fat will come from the cocoa plant, and this type contains both flavanols and a compound called stearic acid which has been shown to lower cholesterol. 

‘That said, it’s still a lot of saturated fat and any benefit is likely to be small.’

Taste test: Exceptionally bitter and, to be totally honest, not pleasant. Most people would struggle to gorge on this which, perhaps, is a positive thing. Certainly an acquired taste. 1/5 

Health verdict: 3.5/5

Lindt Excellence 70%, £3.50

Per four squares: 226 calories, 9.6g sat fat, 11.6g sugar

There’s twice as many calories and more than ten times the sugar of the 100 per cent bar here. 

While this is more sugary than the more potent Lindt versions, oddly, there’s roughly the same amount of sweet stuff in Montezuma’s 50 per cent version – about three teaspoons.

‘While quite a bit of sugar has been added here, it’s still preferable to a bar of milk chocolate due to the flavanols,’ says Thornton-Wood.

According to UK legislation, a product with over 35 per cent dry cocoa solids can be labelled as dark chocolate. In France, it’s 43 per cent. 

Taste test: It’s far easier to eat more of this version, but I still struggle to manage more than four squares in one sitting. Odd how, despite the relatively high sugar count, it doesn’t taste particularly sweet. 3.5/5 

Health verdict: 3/5

 

Lindt Excellence 85%, £3.50

Per four squares: 234 calories, 10.8g sat fat, 6g sugar

This isn’t a bad choice, with similar calories to the 90 and 70 per cent varieties. 

There’s also almost half of the sugar of the 70 per cent bar, and a couple of grams less fat than the 90 per cent. 

But there’s no guarantee you’ll get more antioxidant benefits, compared to the 70 per cent.

‘Scientists don’t yet know how much difference a 10 per cent lower cocoa count makes to the amount of flavanols someone would consume,’ says Thornton-Wood.

‘The likelihood is that the benefit gap would be very small.’

Taste test: It’s not bad, was the conclusion of our taste tester. It’s a little more bitter than the 70 per cent version, but there’s not a huge difference. Tastes rich, but not overpoweringly so. 3/5

Health verdict: 3.5/5 

Lindt Excellence 90%, £3.50

Per four squares: 237 calories, 12g saturated fat, 2.8g sugar 

This beats the 85 per cent version, Thornton-Wood says. There’s marginally more fat, but virtually the same sugar – not even a tenth of the 30g of free sugar daily limit.

Although, 12g of saturated fat is not to be taken lightly, and consuming this amount in a daily snack could increase the risk of heart disease. 

Notably, there’s four grams less fat in four squares of good old fashioned Dairy Milk.

Taste test: Very bitter and gives a feeling of heaviness that clings to the teeth and gums. Much chalkier than the 85 per cent, but less off-putting than the 100. 2.5/5 

Health verdict: 4/5

Dairy Milk, £1 

Per 45g bar: 240 cals, 7.9 sat fat, 25g sugar

It won’t come as a surprise that a bar of Dairy Milk is not the healthiest choice. But is it much worse than Lindt dark chocolate? 

Well, yes, thanks to the giant quantity of sugar that’s more than twice the amount of the 70 per cent Lindt, and 250 times as much as the quantity in Lindt 100 per cent.

This is bad news for your teeth and explains why a bar of Dairy Milk is unlikely to curb hunger pangs for very long, compared to a chunk of dark Lindt.

Calories-wise, there’s little difference. In fact, there’s less fat here than three of the Lindt bars – but still enough to make it a high fat item.

Taste test: Always delicious, satisfying, creamy and absolutely hits the spot. Is there anything better? Tastes like a fine delicacy after eating Lindt’s 100 per cent cardboard offering. 

Health verdict: 1/5

Asda Ecuadorian 60% Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt, £2.38

Per four squares: 111 calories, 4.5g saturated fat, 7.9g sugar, 0.06g salt

Asda has supplied a better choice to Lindt’s 70, 85 and 90 per cent varieties, says Thornton-Wood, and with a far less bitter taste. 

Not only are there less than half the calories of all the Lindt dark chocolates (apart from the 100 per cent), it’s also relatively low in saturated fat and has less than two teaspoons of sugar – 50 per cent lower than in the 70 per cent bar.

While two teaspoons of sugar aren’t ideal (you should have no more than seven per day), it’s only roughly one more than the sugar in the 90 per cent bar. 

‘In general we’d advise keeping snacks between 100 and 200 calories, especially if you’re eating it most days,’ says Thornton-Wood. 

Taste test: Very moreish with just the right amount of bitterness to qualify as a dark chocolate, but sweet enough that it’s highly possible you’ll finish off the full bar. The tastiest dark chocolate of the bunch.

Health verdict: 4.5/5

Montezuma’s Darkside 51% Cocoa Milk Chocolate, £3.49 

Per four squares: 188 calories, 8g sat fat, 12.8g sugar 

This is essentially a slightly more sugary version of the Lindt 70 per cent bar -packing in just an extra gram of sweet stuff. 

But this is lower in fat and has 38 fewer calories. So, if you’d prefer a lower percentage dark/milk chocolate hybrid, this is the one to choose.

‘Some of the fat will come from the milk, which means far fewer flavanols,’ says Thornton-Wood.

Although she adds: ‘There’s far better sources of flavanols than chocolate – fruits and vegetables, for instance.

‘If you’re only eating dark chocolate for the health benefits, don’t bother. But, if you’re eating it because you like the taste, and you’re looking to make the healthiest choice possible, go as dark as you can.’

Taste test: Delicious. Just as enjoyable as Dairy Milk – if not more so. A slightly richer, more luxurious mouthfeel than your bog standard milk chocolate and perhaps the tastiest of all.

Health verdict: 4/5