Chocolate Nutrition Facts

Chocolate nutrition facts

2 oz (milk chocolate) contains:

291 cal;
4.3 gm  protein (incomplete);
18 gm fat;
32 gm carbohydrate; 
127 mg calcium;
129 mg phosphorus;
.6 mg iron;
52 mg sodium;
215 mg potassium;
151 units A;
.03 mg B-1;
.19 mg B-2;
.17 mg niacin;
11 gm saturated fatty acids;
.56 gm linoleic acid;
32 mg magnesium.

Chocolate is probably one of America’s best loved flavorings. Unfortunately, it is not the best of foods, nutritionally speaking. It is very high in calories, fats, and carbohydrates, making it very fattening. It may also irritate skin problems, especially adolescent acne, and in many persons causes an allergic reaction. Chocolate has a tendency to cause constipation, so it should be avoided by those with digestion or elimination problems. And it can cause rapid tooth decay, be cause it has a tendency to find its way into nooks and crannies of the teeth and feed the decay bacteria there. It is relatively high in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamin A, but there are much less harmful sources for these nutrients. Chocolate also is high in cholesterol and saturated fats, since one of its main components is cocoa butter, so it should be avoided by those concerned about their cholesterol level. A substitution should be made for chocolate in recipes whenever possible, using either cocoa, which has many of the drawbacks of chocolate but does not have a high level of cholesterol, or carob, which tends to be richer in nutrients and does not generally have the harmful side effects that both chocolate and cocoa have.