Dark Chocolate – Choosing a Quality Brand

Posted on April 14th, 2017

Dark chocolate is considered somewhat healthy compared to milk or white chocolate as the percentage of cocoa is higher, and cocoa has an abundance of antioxidants which has been linked to heart health. If saying that different brands differ a lot in terms of quality ingredients used and just how healthy your chocolate actually is.

I have put together a comparison on some of the most popular brands you will see in the Supermarkets to give you an idea on just how much they differ plus help you choose a good brand that is perfect for you and your health J I have only looked at dark chocolate from 70% and higher in terms of cocoa.

We are told to read the nutrition panel of food products in order to make an educated decision that will benefit our health and as long as sugar is low than that’s a good thing right? Not always the case!! In this table you will see a fair few brands have low sugar, however if you read the ingredients they contain things like:

  • Flavourings
  • Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin)
  • Milk solids
  • Polydextrose

Why do these ingredients need to be added to chocolate?

 Dark Chocolate Brands (20g Serves)

Protein

Sugar

Sodium

Ingredients

Alter Ego Dark Blackout 85%

 1.5 3.0 0 Cacao Beans (85%), Cocoa Butter, Raw Cane Sugar, Vanilla Beans.

Cadbury Coco 70% Dark Cocoa

 1.4 5.6 0.8 Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Powder, Milk Solids, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Flavour.

Cadbury Coco 86% Dark Cocoa

 1.6 2.6 0.8 Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Powder, Sugar, Flavour, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Milk Solids.

Cadbury Old Gold 70%

 1.9 5.6 0.8 Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Powder, Flavour, Milk Solids.

Coles Belgium 70%

 1.4 5.4 1.0 Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Natural Vanilla Flavouring.

Coles Belgium 85%

 2.0 2.2 2.0 Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin).

Frey Supreme Extra Dark 85%

 2.1 2.6 2.0 Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter, Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Natural Flavour.

Green & Blacks Organic 70%

 1.8 5.7 10.4 Organic Cocoa Mass, Organic Raw Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Organic Vanilla Extract.

Green & Blacks Organic 85%

 1.9 2.7 10.4 Organic Cocoa Mass, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Cocoa Powder, Organic Raw Cane Sugar, Organic Vanilla Extract.

Lindt Excellence 70%

 1.9 5.8 8.0 Cocoa Solids (70%), Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Natural Bourbon Vanilla Beans.

Lindt Excellence Supreme 85%

 2.5 2.2 8.0 Cocoa Solids (85%), Cocoa Mass, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Cocoa Butter, Demerara Sugar, Vanilla.

Lindt Excellence Supreme 90%

 2.2 1.3 4.0 Cocoa Solids (90%), Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter, Low Fat Cocoa Powder, Sugar, Bourbon Vanilla Beans.

Well Naturally – Rich Dark

 1.3 0.13 14.6 Cocoa Mass & Cocoa Butter (70% Cocoa Solids), Polydextrose (Soluble Dietary Fibre), Erythritol, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Natural Flavour, Stevia (Natural Sweetener).

 

When looking for a high quality dark chocolate you want to look for:

  • The highest percentage of cocoa you can (ideally 85% but no lower than 70%). The lower the percentage the more sugar added and the less cocoa used.
  • The basic ingredients that you need to make dark chocolate which is: cacao beans, cocoa butter, cocoa powder and sugar.

Dark chocolate should be completely dairy free, however be careful as some brands particularly ‘Cadbury’ have milk solids.

Based on the above comparison the best brands that I recommend and use myself are:

  • Alter Ego Dark Blackout 85%
  • Frey Supreme Extra Dark 85%
  • Green & Blacks Organic 85%
  • Lindt Excellence Supreme 85% & 90%

These particular chocolates have low sugar per serve and are made with quality ingredients without the use of any other fillers. These brands are more expensive, however definitely worth it if dark chocolate is something you enjoy eating in moderation of course.

Some of the other brands that are also low in sugar include;

  • Cadbury Coco 86% Dark
  • Coles Belgium 85%
  • Well Naturally Rich Dark

These brands are comprised of some fillers and the Cadbury Coco contains milk solids, so if possible you are best to stick to the higher quality brands mentioned above.

If 85% cocoa is just too much for you try the Lindt Excellence 70% 🙂

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