So which is the healthiest chocolate bar?
We spent an estimated £7billion on chocolate confectionery in the UK last year, according to data firm Mintel – that’s about £105 for every adult and child in the country.
If you are partial to picking up a sweet treat when you pay for petrol, or slipping a multipack in your shopping basket, read on. The bar you choose, from dark to milk or white, could make all the difference to your health and waistline.
We asked Lucy Diamond, a dietitian at oviva.com – an NHS-approved, online weight and health management resource – to assess ten popular products, which we then rated.
DAIRY MILK
45g, 85p, most supermarkets.
Per 100g: calories, 534; saturated fat, 18g; protein, 7.3g; fibre, 2.1g; sugar, 56g; salt, 0.24g
Milk may be the first ingredient on the list here, but like all chocolate treats, it’s the sugar and fat you need to keep an eye on.
With 56 per cent sugar content, you’ll get the equivalent of six teaspoons of sugar in a small 45g bar. Although some of the sweetness will come naturally from the milk, a significant proportion will be added ‘free’ sugar – which is bad news for our waistlines and teeth.
The cocoa butter and vegetable fats in this – including palm and shea butter – mean there’s 8.1g of saturated fat in a bar, too; that’s just over 40 per cent of daily limit for a woman and almost a third of a man’s.
Like most milk chocolate, this contains just 20 per cent heart-healthy cocoa solids. And with 240 calories in a bar – the equivalent of three-and-a-half digestive biscuits – you’re best having a few squares at a time.
HEALTH RATING: 3/10
MONTEZUMA’S ABSOLUTE BLACK ALMOND
90g, £2.97, montezumas.co.uk
Per 100g: calories, 606; saturated fat, 29g; protein, 14g; fibre, 16g ; sugar, 3g; salt, 0.01g
With just two ingredients – dark chocolate and almonds, and no added sugar – this bar is about as healthy as chocolate gets.
The 100 per cent cocoa solids are a good source of flavanols, plant compounds with powerful, protective antioxidant properties that have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. You will also get heart-healthy unsaturated fats from the almonds, which are rich in vitamin E, potassium, calcium and magnesium, all important for cardiovascular health. Both ingredients are good sources of gut-friendly fibre too – you’ll get 16 per cent of your daily needs in a portion as well as 4.2g protein (the equivalent of half a large egg), a combination that should make this chocolate more satisfying than most.
But it is still quite high in saturated fat (mainly from the cocoa) – and with 181 calories in a third of a bar (about the same as a small croissant), it’s a reminder that all chocolate is best eaten in small amounts and kept as an occasional treat.
HEALTH RATING: 9/10
MARS BAR
51g, 80p, most supermarkets.
Per 100g: calories, 448; saturated fat, 8.1g; protein, 4.5g; fibre, n/a; sugar, 60g; salt, 0.40g
Sugar and glucose syrup are the first two ingredients listed, so it seems a lot of the sweetness is likely to be from added ‘free’ sugar – the kind that is bad for your waistline and teeth. You’ll get a whopping 30.6g sugar, just over seven-and-a-half teaspoons, in this bar.
And with 228 calories – a bit more than you’d get from three Digestives – as well as very little cocoa solids, plus a sticky caramel and nougat centre that may linger on teeth, it’s hard to find any nutritional benefits in a Mars bar – it’s all about the pleasure of eating it.
If you’re a fan, maybe opt for smaller ‘Fun size’ bars – which are 65 per cent smaller than a regular bar at 18g a piece, and contain 11.1g of sugar – just under three teaspoons each.
HEALTH RATING: 1/10
OMBAR STRAWBERRY MYLK
35g, £2.10, ocado.com
Per 100g: calories, 603; saturated fat, 31g; protein, 6.2g; fibre, n/a; sugar, 28g; salt, 0.1g
This small, 35g dairy-free bar is made with 55 per cent cacao. Cacao is made from unroasted cocoa beans, and is thought to retain more of their antioxidant polyphenols (protective plant chemicals) which have been linked to reducing blood pressure and better blood sugar control.
Cacao is also a source of minerals, including manganese, which is important for building connective tissue, bones and blood clotting factors.
There’s a lot less sugar in this bar than most – around half the amount you’ll get in an equivalent portion of Dairy Milk, for example, two-and-a-half teaspoons. Some of this will come naturally from the powdered strawberries here, and other ingredients, but some is from added coconut sugar – which, although it sounds healthy, is no better for you than regular table sugar. Although there are only six, minimally processed ingredients here, a third of this pricey bar is saturated fat, coming from creamed coconut and cocoa butter, which is not great for heart health.
HEALTH RATING: 7/10
CURLY WURLY
21.5g, 25p, most supermarkets.
Per 100g: calories, 454; saturated fat, 9.3g; protein, 2.1g; fibre, 0.7g; sugar, 50g; salt, 0.66g
At 21.5g – less than half the size of a Mars Bar – this chocolate and caramel treat has just 98 calories and just under three teaspoons of sugar. And the upside of it containing caramel is that it’ll take a while to eat, prolonging the enjoyment of this small sweet treat.
But the chewy caramel centre is not great for teeth, it can put pressure on fillings and its sticky texture may encourage the sugars to linger on your teeth.
This bar also has a lot of ultra-processed ingredients, including whey permeate powder (a milk extract), emulsifiers, an acidity regulator and stabiliser. It’s good that this bar is smaller and has fewer calories than most, but you definitely won’t gain any health benefits from eating it.
HEALTH RATING: 2/10
HOTEL CHOCOLAT FRUIT AND NUT CHOCOLATE SELECTOR
100g, £4.95, hotelchocolat.com
Per 100g: calories, 530; saturated fat, 17.2g; protein, 7.2g; fibre, 3.9g; sugar, 45.8g; salt, 0.1g
This milk chocolate bar is 19 per cent dried fruit (sultanas and cranberries) and is 10 per cent nuts (almonds and hazelnuts) – these are nutritious, fibre-rich plant ingredients which will help to boost the diversity and health of your gut bacteria.
The chocolate itself is a simple mix of 40 per cent cocoa solids (almost double that of most milk chocolate-based treats), sugar and full cream milk powder – without the long list of additives and refined ingredients that you find in some other bars.
You’ll get 23g sugar – almost six teaspoons – in half a bar, but a proportion of that will come naturally from the dried fruit and milk powder here which means you’ll be getting some useful nutrients with it.
The best way to eat any chocolate – even a good quality one like this – is in very small portions, ideally the equivalent of just a few squares as a treat.
HEALTH RATING: 8/10
REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER BAR
90g, £1.60, most supermarkets.
Per 100g: calories, 550; saturated fat, 16g; protein, 6.9g; fibre, n/a; sugar, 54g; salt, 0.51g
There are lots of highly processed ingredients in this sugary, calorie-dense bar.
The nutty filling is described as ‘peanut butter creme’ and is a blend of 13 ingredients, including hydrogenated vegetable oil (oil that has been processed to turn solid at room temperature).
The outer layer is a ‘Milk Chocolate Flavour Coating’ – again a mix of 13 ingredients, several of which are artificial additives.
You’ll get just over 12 teaspoons of sugar and 495 calories – the equivalent of a substantial meal – in this bar, so definitely one to eat just a square at a time.
HEALTH RATING: 1/10
KIT KAT VEGAN
41.5g, £1, most supermarkets.
Per 100g: calories, 515; saturated fat, 18.2g; protein, 2.7g; fibre, 9.8g; sugar, 34.3g; salt, 0.16g
This new vegan version of Kit Kat is the same size and weight as the regular four-finger bar.
The dairy ingredients in the original version – including whole milk and whey powder – are replaced with corn fibre, cocoa powder and rice. This means this option has less sugar (three-and-a-half teaspoons sugar compared to just over five teaspoons) and four times as much filling fibre – you’ll get 13 per cent of your daily fibre needs in this bar – compared with the original Kit Kat.
It’s still quite high in calories though: a whole bar is 214 calories – the equivalent of three digestive biscuits, with more than twice the amount of sugar. Consider splitting this bar with a friend if you’re watching your weight.
HEALTH RATING: 5/10
LINDT EXCELLENCE WHITE – A TOUCH OF VANILLA
100g, £2.15, most supermarkets.
Per 100g: calories, 571; saturated fat, 22g; protein, 4.8g; fibre, n/a; sugar, 57g; salt, 0g
There are no cocoa solids (the ‘healthy’ part of the cocoa bean that offers bitter chocolate flavour, antioxidant benefits and fibre) in white chocolate. Instead, the creamy texture and flavour comes from cocoa butter – the fatty part of the bean, which is then mixed with sugar, milk solids and vanilla to give it flavour.
Cocoa butter is around 60 per cent saturated fat, which is not great for heart health.
White chocolate offers no health benefits unless it comes with added nuts, cacao nibs or similar, so again, eat it in small amounts as a treat.
Good-quality dark chocolate with nuts will always be the better option.
HEALTH RATING: 0/10
TONY’S CHOCOLONELY MILK CARAMEL BISCUIT
180g, £3, most supermarkets.
Per 100g: calories, 528; saturated fat, 18.1g; protein, 7.3g; fibre, n/a; sugar, 48.9g; salt, 0.23g
There is a reasonable amount of antioxidant-rich cocoa solids here – minimum 32 per cent – which is quite high for a milk chocolate and indicates flavour and quality. The brand is fair trade certified too which means their cocoa beans are produced and purchased in an ethical way.
But there are a quite a lot of processed ingredients in this bar, including glucose syrup, dextrose, sweetened condensed milk, emulsifiers and a stabiliser.
Like any bar containing caramel or a sweet, sticky filling, this has a high sugar content – almost 49 per cent – but that’s still a sixth less than you’ll find in a Mars bar. You’ll get just under four teaspoons in the recommended 30g portion, and just over two digestive biscuits’ worth of calories.
HEALTH RATING: 5/10
