Two delicious types of chocolate. Two very different tastes. So the question is, which do you choose?

Personally, I would choose dark chocolate. As a kid, I always ate milk chocolate; Hershey Kisses, Hershey Bars, M&M’s. All of that good stuff I loved. However, as I got older, the candy I used to love was no longer that enjoyable. I started liking dark chocolate better. I do not know what changed or why, but all of a sudden I only started to like dark chocolate. This turned out to be a good thing though because many people have told me that dark chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate

After researching the topic, I have to agree with the evidence that dark chocolate is healthier for you than milk chocolate. One reason is that dark chocolate is good for your heart and your brain. “Eating a small amount of dark chocolate every couple of days can lower your blood pressure and help improve blood flow. Dark chocolate also helps reduce your risk of having a stroke.” Also, dark chocolate contains Theobromine, which helps reduce one’s risk of getting a cavity (which is unlike every other candy). Lastly, Dark chocolate is full of vitamins and minerals such as Potassium, Copper, Magnesium, and Iron. Learning of all of these benefits of dark chocolate is making me in the mood for some chocolate! But I know I have to limit myself because even though dark chocolate is not terrible for you, you still have to limit yourself because eating it in large amounts will make it bad for you.

The benefits of dark chocolate are clearly better than the benefits of milk chocolate. But, are they better than the benefits of white chocolate. According to one article, white chocolate is not as healthy as dark chocolate. White chocolate does not contain as much cocoa as dark chocolate does and a high cocoa content leads to the positive health benefits. Dark chocolate contains 30% to 90% cocoa and White chocolate contains only about 20%. Now I know why I like dark chocolate so much better than any other type! Dark chocolate contains more cocoa, which makes it more bitter and sweet, which leads to its unique taste that I love so much.

After doing all of this research, I agree with my hypothesis that dark chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate. There are multiple sources that confirm this to be true and have proven facts that support this theory. Not only is dark chocolate better for you, but there is evidence that milk chocolate can impact the benefits of dark chocolate. WebMD one stated, “Our findings indicate that milk chocolate may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from chocolate and may therefore negate the potential health benefits that can be derived from eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate.” This is one of many articles that support this theory.

Milk chocolate may taste better. White chocolate may look better. But dark chocolate is healthier. This article is not trying to persuade you to change what you like. The purpose is to be informative and help you make healthier eating decisions while still enjoying treats. Eating a little bit of dark chocolate satisfies your sweet tooth and is not that bad for you! So why not choose dark chocolate?

I wonder what other food choices I could make that would be healthy but tasty choices? Are there better chips, nuts, or pretzels that I should be eating? What about cereals and granola bars? There must be healthier choices out there.