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I've had a look to see if this question has been asked before and haven't seen it so apologies if I've missed it!

For those of you who are dark chocolate fans - How much of it do you eat per day?

At the moment, I'm eating about 4 squares of the Lindt 85% dark chocolate at approx 10.30am with a cup of tea each morning.

I'm now wondering if this is considered 'too much' to eat per day? How much is considered a healthy amount? Or should we even eat it every day?

I would love to know your thoughts!

Thanks all :)

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Note that a lot of chocolate coming from Ivory Coast (which is almost 40% of world production) is made with slave labor. I'm not talking about "slave labor," I'm talking real slaves who work for bare essential upkeep and are forced to work. Lindt sources their chocolate from Ghana which supposedly doesn't use slave labor. – Wisper Jan 17 2012 at 13:01
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I try to keep it to one or two squares per day - I don't always succeed! – Dave S. Jan 17 2012 at 13:46
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49 Answers

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I eat Lindt 90% every day, or the local grocery brand 85%. I can't find 100% here. I was a serious sugar addict and it is the one thing I still allow myself other than fruit that satisfies my sweet tooth. I eat 4-6 squares a day. I'm hoping to be able to wean myself down to 2 a day or so, but I seriously love this stuff. Moderation has always been a challenge for me.:)

It's a good source of magnesium and good for blood pressure, I've heard, and last spring my blood pressure was strangely high (168/100 or so). Since I've cut sugar and grains and started eating dark chocolate, it has stabilized into the normal range (120s / 80s). I also supplement magnesium.

I also live in Switzerland so I also feel virtuous in supporting the local economy.

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I do several teaspoons of cocoa via coffee, or two large squares of 100% dark chocolate. I used to do 85% Lindt, but got used to the darker and darker stuff. The best bang for the buck from Lindt in that range is their 90% bars.

If you do go up to 99% you'll find that they're half the size by weight and about 2x the price, so you're paying 4x as much, BUT once you get hooked on the 90%+ stuff, go to the baking section of your super market and get the 100% baking versions of unsweetened dark chocolate from Ghirardelli, as they're almost exactly the same as the Lindt ones, but a lot more reasonable in cost.

Also for those of you looking at Lindt that aren't into dark chocolate, be very careful, some of their milk versions have barley in them!

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I can confirm that Lindt 85% dark, while containing no gluten ingredients itself, has enough gluten from cross-contamination to give me a celiac-reaction. So if you have celiac disease like me and/or you're sensitive to gluten, I recommend going with a different chocolate. – Sara S. Jan 17 2012 at 13:01
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I eat about 1/4 to 1/3 of a bar per day... several different kinds, but mostly Trader Joes 85% "Dark Chocolate Lover's Chocolate Bar". Not really because it's my favorite though. It's just that it's extremely available and only $1.50 per bar, which is a ridiculous price for 85% dark chocolate. The only bummer about it is that it does say "soy lecithin" in the ingredients. I know it can't be much but I usually avoid soy anything. However, I have read somewhere (I forget where) that a litlle soy lecithin actually is good for natural man lube... i.e. the clear "pre" stuff. Now I am gonna go look that up. Anyway, sorry to take this discussion of chocolate there.

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Also, lately I have been eating some Lindt 85% and a little bit of 90%. They are both delicious, and the 85% is actually on sale right now on Amazon for $24.78 for a 12 pack with free shipping. That works out to be about $2 a bar, and there is no soy lecithin in theirs. I think I am gonna order the 12 pack.

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aaaaaaand, my wifey brought home a little treat the other day and I admit, I indulged. This little dealio right here was delicious. It's only 70% dark, so it's got some extra sugar, but as a treat, I liked it quite well. Very smooth mint flavor. It was divine indeed.

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Mark Sisson has this to say about soy lecithin: "Soy lecithin is simply the byproduct of soy oil extraction. It’s not hydrogenated soybean oil, folks allergic to soy can eat it without ill effect, and lecithin actually contains choline and phospholipids that can be quite beneficial. Don’t go out of your way to eat soy lecithin for any health benefits (egg yolks and liver are far better sources of choline), but don’t pass on some excellent dark chocolate simply because “soy” appears on the package." So snack on! Read more: marksdailyapple.com/grapefruit-fasting/… – Cait Jan 17 2012 at 20:15
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Usually around a square of Lindt 85% after lunch and another square or two after dinner. This time of year I also usually have a cup of cocoa (Hershey's natural) with some almond milk before bed. I personally don't want to see, and would promptly ignore, any research that said this was too much.

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Agreed! The Hershey's natural cocoa is delicious. I make mine with half hot water from the kettle and half whole milk. So good. – L. Jan 17 2012 at 23:56
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Most days I eat none. Zilch. Zero.

Today, I ate 8 ounces. I have my period. Fuck it.

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Two squares of Lindt 90% Dark Chocolate ritualistically every day after lunch most days sometimes a little more, never less and sometimes it is the smoother Green & Black 85% dark, but always some dark chocolate. I wonder if I could skip a day? I doubt it. My local Kroger in Decatur GA carries both.

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I love my chocolate. I can't give you a measurement on how much you should eat, but I've found that my body naturally seems to regulate this. I've learned to eat a square, stop and rest, and see how my belly feels. If I eat, say 4 squares at once, I generally get a tummy ache and then I'm done with it for a while. I also validate my chocolate consumption with the fact that I've given up so much already. I allow myself that luxery, but it's not a habit built into my every day life. It was at first. I would say that the first 3 months I ate chocolate religiously every day. Now I do it a couple times a week (or more when I'm PMSing!), whenever I feel that I need it :)

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I know the exact amount because I'm a fitday obsessive: .6 oz (which on the bars I buy is 4 very small squares of 65% dark).

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Yummy question! I vary my dark chocolate between 65-85% between Equal Exchange and Lindt. I consume about 1-3 squares a day - with the 65-71% dark on days with physical activity, and the 85% on other days.

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It's not likely to be the biggest factor in your health so I wouldn't worry - personally though I'm sceptical of anything which I end up eating every day. I try and avoid that these days, but that's more a mental health thing.

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I used to eat about a bar a day of 90%. Once I started, my cravings were so high that I'd always have "just one more piece" until it was gone. Not so good for the body comp. Chocolate is good for some people, but for me I have to stick with zero now. I'm actually the same about snacking in general, so I've had to kill off all the snacking, in which case there's really not much call for chocolate anyway.

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You should try 100% cacao if you find yourself about to slip up again. It'll give you that dark chocolate flavor fix without the sugar addiction. It's way more self-regulating than chocolate with any amount of sugar in it, in my experience. I've been having a lot of chocolate-bingeing phases and I can feel out of control on 90% cocoa, but after a certain amount of thick bitter 100% you can just look at the next square and truly feel "okay enough I am DONE." – Helicat Mar 12 2012 at 16:48
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I read somewhere once that cacao can actually be as addictive and body-slowing as wheat.

However, with that said, I still enjoy my chocolate. Daily. With gust and verve.

I try and do the 85% Lindt stuff, but man, someone put a box of Frango mints (a Chicago thing) on our communal treat table at work and I totally had four. Not thrilled about that, but it happens.

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I was allowing myself 1 bar of 85% Lindt per week at first (started paleo nov. 1st), but I noticed on two separate occasions that it sent me to the bathroom within 15 minutes if it was the first thing I ate. I seemed to be able to eat it with or after other food just fine, but by itself it seems to be bad news for me. Don't know if it's a gluten cross-reactivity thing or what, but it's been over 3 weeks now since I've had any and I was just starting to forget about chocolate altogether (until I saw your question!).

I like that there's a good bit of sat fat in dark chocolate, along with magnesium as others have mentioned. I did try the 90% which has a different but nice taste, too, though the one Green & Black's bar I tried was pretty awesome, but a bit pricier.

I'm considering re-introducing it after a few more weeks (with food) to see if I notice anything again. I could do without it entirely, I'm just curious more than anything.

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I don't weigh my food and each bar I buy is a different thickness but I tend to have 2-4 squares a day out of whatever package is handy. Of course being a chick means when ladytime comes a skipping in to visit perhaps this might fluctuate to 6. If I'm not in the mood then I don't have any. If at a movie could be half a bar. I never have a set time, either, on when I munch my tasty squares.

IMO it's definitely a personal preference - there's not going to be a right or a wrong with this one :)

Note: In the freezer I usually have, yes I prefer it out of the icebox, Mast, Dagoba, Askinosie, sometimes Lindt, Valrhona, Green & Black.

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Okay, I'm confused about dark chocolate. It seems very big to Paleos, but even the 85% or whatever still has sugar in it, right? So is dark chocolate simply seen as a lesser of many evils, or is there a memo I missed?

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Yes the lesser of many evils but hardly a good thing. I am not sure that daily ingestion is a good thing but one or two squares probably won't hurt most. A bar a day? That's just wrong no matter how you slice it. – Shari Bambino May 7 2012 at 22:26
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Las cosas claras y el chocolate espeso.

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Since I can't eat much fruit (FODMAPS intolerance), I eat 30-50 gm of 55-70% dark chocolate a day.

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I love raw cacao nibs ( the raw ingredient from the tree) you get that strong bitter chocolate flavour, no sugar. Not heated in processing, so the mineral ( magnesium) content is at it's best. Just 3-4 nut fulls is satisfying.

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Do you eat them srtaight? I've tried, but the texture is just too grainy for me... – Jesse Jan 17 2012 at 21:07
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I've been "clean" long enough that I can enjoy 90% dark chocolate but alas it's not at all addictive in that form so I don't eat it very often.

At Christmas I bought an 85% bar and ate a square of it every day with a few nuts and a little jerky. I found that very enjoyable but on a typical day I don't snack so I guess chocolate is a holiday thing for me now.

My opinion is that if you're healthy, happy with your weight and not having difficulties controlling your appetite you can have whatever gives you pleasure and doesn't jeopardize those factors.

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I get the trader joes 70% dark chocolate bars that are 100 cals each. I don't care about the calories so much but I like the dark and the fact that I can eat the whole bar and stop there. But I don't eat one everyday because I'm afraid it will become a slippery slide....

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I make my own chocolate candy, with stevia and erythritol sweeteners, and eat as I feel like it. (I do let the budget have a say in how much is enough, though!)

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I go through stages with my chocolate. I eat however much I want (anywhere from none to the entire bar!), but every couple months I get a little chocolate-crazy and all I care about is my next piece of chocolate.

When it becomes a thought-consuming, uncontrollable desire, I don't buy or eat any chocolate for a couple weeks or more.

Then I start over...8)

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You guys are lightweights. ;-) I eat 1 bar most days - that's 80-100g per bar. 85, 88 or 90%. Tee hee. I agree with Nance in that if your body is doing what you want then this is hardly a bad indulgence.

But I'll keep an eye on the goals - if what happened to Michael (body comp issues) happens, then I might have to cold turkey it. I am not a moderation type.

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One square of 100% chocolate - totally unsweetened (Baker's usually) - most days. Probably 5 days/week. I tell myself I can have it everyday, but sometimes I don't need it everyday. Sometimes (very occasionally) I'll buy Lindt 99% and the entire bar is gone in 2-3 days. Who knew 1% could make such a difference? Both very delicious, though.

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I'm addicted - I eat at least 2 - 4 squares everyday of Lindt 85% or 90% (just recently switched up to 90% in an attempt to curb my addiction but I find it just as moreish!). The Green & Black's 85% is sweeter tasting than Lindt in my opinion and I find it very difficult not to consume the entire bar once opened. I find all chocolates taste best at room temperature - the flavour is fuller.

I have recently bought some Willie's Wonky 100% pure cacao (venezuelan black) and shall be experimenting with it both as hot chocolate and straight from the block. Any one else tried this chocolate?

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How much refined legumes with dehydrated UHT dairy and refined sugar do I eat a day?

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I don't know, how much? Or are you just so much more Paleo than everyone else who does eat it? (Cacao is not a legume, BTW. Legumes are in the Fabaceae family. Cacao is Malvaceae or Sterculiaceae family, depending on how recent the source. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malvaceae) – Varelse Mar 22 at 21:04
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I absolutely love dark chocolate, 85% minimum. I like to try and taste as many as I possibly can. Some of my favorites are Green & Black 85%, Ghirardelli 86%, Sweet Riot 85%, and Valrhona 85%. There's the Alter Eco Blackout 85% if I want a change of pace, it has a pretty strong fruity after taste. My least favorite that I've had is Theo 85%. But! My absolute favorite is Endangered Species Black Panther Bar, 88%, I just bought an entire case the other day.

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I need to try Lindt again, I tried it once and I think I got a bad bar, it was chalky and very light in color.

I eat about 1/4 a day usually. Sometimes if I'm in need of a small, convenient 'meal', I'll eat a whole bar.

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Wow the only brand I have found to be free of milk and soy is Enjoy Life, its expensive, hard to come by, and still has a lot of sugar. So I rarely get to have my chocolate :'(

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people with herpes (is that now about 50% of us?) should note that chocolate can be a trigger. how much varies from person to person in this case, and you have to be the scientist, and do your own experiment: see what you can take. if you've had a couple cups of coffee, then a smaller amount of chocolate can push the envelope, as can stress, and other factors that are common contributors to breakouts.

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ill have a bar per month at the most. the best I have found is 100% pure chocolate from sunspire, its not bitter or burnt tasting, its organic and the only ingredient is chocolate, no emulsifiers or soy.

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