I see lots of “experts” say to eat dark chocolate in moderation for health benefits, but everything at the store has tons of sugar
My understanding, is dark chocolate isn’t medicinal or a nutrional supplement, but if you are going to enjoy a chocolate treat a piece of plain dark chocolate (55% and up) is a better choice than milk chocolate because it means you will be consuming a treat with a reduced fat and sugar content and a higher amount of antioxidants and flavonoids.
I think to gain benefits from the chocolate you have to be eating the 70% or higher stuff. That is super intense and too bitter for my tastebuds; no longer a yummy treat.
I prefer to eat a 45% to 55% chocolate in moderation for the pleasure of it and try to get my beneficial antioxidants and flavonoids from all kinds of fruits, vegtables and nuts.
Instead of dark chocolate, cacao actually has more health benefits and there are a lot of products that you can buy in different forms. Cacao is a natural food with a wide range of health benefits. Cacao can enhance cognitive function, boost mental health and reduce oxidative stress with antioxidants. It supports cardiovascular health, metabolic health, and mediates the natural inflammatory response. Cacao can also boost one’s energy levels, strengthen bone and skin health, and even reduce the risk of cancer. It also contains many essential minerals for overall health, such as magnesium, calcium, and iron. https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-cacao-powder
If your goal is health, you need to switch to cacao.
The best cacao is ceremonial grade cacao.
I like the Guatemalan ceremonial cacao from Spice Tribe.
I use a couple of their unprocessed raw discs, use an egg whisk to add hot water, and sweeten it with very little maple syrup.
Satisfied my chocolate craving, while I control the sugar and get a ton of that anti-oxidant benefit.
There’s this 70% dark chocolate that Ikea sells, Choklad Mörk by Utz, that’s really tasty and has 25% DV for iron and 11% DV for fiber per one ten-piece, 170 calorie serving. Also 13% DV for fat (35% saturated), 4% DV for potassium, 15g sugar (13g added), 2g protein. No other nutrients.