You may be wondering, is chocolate a keto food? Or, can you eat chocolate on the Keto Diet? Well, it depends. First, some background on the Keto Diet.
Why I Went on the Keto Diet
I went on the Keto Diet in 2014 and have found it gives me more energy than a high-carb diet. I think more clearly and I feel great eating keto. I love low-carb high-fat living. For me, it’s the way to go. My diet consists of a good amount of fat and protein along with a small amount of carbohydrates that I get primarily from vegetables. For some fun ideas on replacing high-carb grains in your diet with low-carb vegetables, see my Healthy Low-Carb Swaps for Noodles post.
Multiple Sclerosis and the Keto Diet
I was diagnosed with MS in 2006. I’ve found that the Keto Diet has been helpful in stabilizing the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Studies show that a Ketogenic Diet can increase the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an anti-inflammatory protein that promotes the growth of nerves.1
What is the Keto Diet?
You may be wondering, what is the Keto Diet? The classic Ketogenic Diet has three to four times as much fat as protein and carbohydrates combined according to the Charlie Foundation. A modified Keto Diet contains ratios of 2:1 and 1:1. What does this mean? In terms of macro-nutrients, a 2:1 keto meal would have around 60 grams of fat, 20 grams of protein, and 10 grams of carbs.
When I went through the hassle of weighing all of my food and following a very strict Keto Diet, I used a 1.5:1 ratio of fat to protein + carbohydrates. I no longer weigh everything I consume because I enjoy eating a bit more intuitively and don’t like counting macro-nutrients.
The Charlie Foundation
After much research on the Ketogenic Diet, I fine-tuned my knowledge of it under the tutelage of the amazing folks at the Charlie Foundation, a non-profit that promotes the use of the Ketogenic Diet in the clinical setting as a non-pharmacological treatment for epilepsy.
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Can You Eat Chocolate on Keto?
Every now and then I want a treat. That’s where chocolate comes in! My favorite Keto Diet treat is Green & Black’s 85% Chocolate Bar. This is not a sponsored post. I’ve simply fallen in love with this organic chocolate product. Why? Because it’s a healthy low-carb dessert that tastes fantastic and is made of organic chocolate, without soy!
So, can you eat chocolate on keto? Well, Green & Black’s 85% Chocolate Bar contains more fat than protein and carbohydrates combined. Technically, it is a 1.1: 1 Ketogenic Diet food.
Is Dark Chocolate Healthy?
Dark chocolate is made of cacao, one of the most antioxidant rich foods on the planet. Cacao contains a high level of polyphenols which combat oxidative stress in the body. When consuming chocolate, regardless of the diet you follow, it’s important to eat dark chocolate. Why? Because dark chocolate contains more cacao and less sugar than milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate. I use anywhere from 70% to 100% dark chocolate in my recipes. The higher the percentage of cacao the better!
Can You Eat Sugar on the Keto Diet?
Some of you may also be wondering, can you eat sugar on a Keto Diet? The answer to that is yes. But everyone is different, and like the Paleo Diet, there are many ways to follow the Keto Diet. The most important thing? Customize your diet and do what’s best for you.
Here are some of my incredible Keto Chocolate Dessert Recipes that use different types of chocolate!
Crystal says
Bless you, Elana, for sharing this insight and experience!!
I’ve grown to love Alter Eco Super Blackout and am just diving into full-blown keto as sort of a “reset.” I had been thinking, “Surely a couple of squares of this, factored into my daily carb count, is okay!? Do I really have to stick to the stevia-sweetened stuff that just doesn’t cut it (and messes with my digestion, unfortunately)?” This was a lovely breath of fresh air for me in these early days of detoxing from carbohydrate dependence.
Thank you SO much for your continued insight and beautiful recipes. Several of yours are family staples, and I’m so grateful for your willingness to share all you have learned and experienced.
Elana says
Crystal, thanks so much for your kind words and for being on this healing path with me! I am so blessed to have readers like you :-)
Debra White-Bookard says
Hello,
I want to make hot cocoa with my cacao powder. I really miss hot cocoa. Please share any recipe you may have. thanks
Elana says
Debra, here you go:
https://elanaspantry.com/hot-cocoa/
Enjoy!
Elana
Sam says
Sorry but I really do need to correct you. Sugar is NOT allowed on the ketogenic diet. This will create a huge insulin response which will stop any fat burning, kick you out of ketosis and any weight loss goals you’ve achieved. The whole purpose of this is to STOP eating sugar! You can have alternative sugar such as alcohol sugar such erythrotol or plant based like stevia. Other sugars may mimic glucose molecule creating an insulin response.
Elana says
Sam, thanks for your comment! The Keto Diet actually does not ban or eliminate any single macro-nutrient or food, it entails manipulating macros. I’ve interviewed the top Keto Diet expert in the world and she discusses it in this post:
https://elanaspantry.com/interview-with-a-top-keto-diet-expert/
Have a wonderful day!
Elana
Yolandé Tait says
I bought Lindts Excellence 85% cocoa rich dark chocolate. Is that okay on the Keto diet ?
Elana says
Yolande, are you following a 1:1 Keto Diet or 2:1? How many carbs are you allowed to have per day? For more on the Keto Diet go here:
https://elanaspantry.com/interview-with-a-top-keto-diet-expert/
Enjoy!
Elana
Peter says
Carbs max 20-30g Very strict with diet weighing, logging, ratios etc.
Does anyone fell 90% Lindt (very few carbs stall or throw you out of ketosis?
Some night I eat quite a bit but still right ratios etc.(30-50g)
Same with some almond which I nor too much is riskier. 30-50g)
/Peter
Elana says
Peter, thanks for reaching out about this!
Donna says
Hi Elena,
I really enjoy Lindt 90% dark chocolate. I have tried others and my body does not agree with them! I have a square with a tablespoon of almond butter every morning!! Love it. Thanks for all your research!
Donna
Elana says
Donna, thanks for your comment!
aryansharma says
i am going through keto diet , so this information will be helpful for me , thank you so much letting me know that we can have dark choclate for keto diet, and i love dark choclate .thanks for sharing this inormatio here.
Elana says
Aryansharma, you’re welcome!
Kristina says
I love Green & Blacks 70% chocolate. I have tried a few other brands but find I really like the taste of Green & Blacks more. Furthermore, I’m not a dark chocolate person! I have always loved milk chocolate! However, now that I’m on a Keto Diet, I treat myself to a few squares of dark choc with a few pecans or macadamias to perk me up if I start wanting something sweet.
Thank you for your post
Elana says
Kristina, you’re very welcome!