Dark Version Health Comparison #1

Your Chocolate Priestess has briefly discussed some of the "health news" that comes out about chocolate. There was another article recently that you might want to look over. This summarizes several findings, showing benefits to darker chocolates, but as I ate a "Snickers Dark" on Saturday I thought: Are dark versions of things really that much better?

Let's start with the product itself, Sisters and Brothers. Since I prefer darker chocolate myself, I was hoping this version of the very old "Snickers" candy bar might taste better to me. When we look at the ingredients the only different is dark vs. milk chocolate and honestly I didn't like it as much as the original. While the milk chocolate mixes well with the peanuts, caramel and nougat I didn't think the bitterness of the dark variety made as good a balance for some reason I can't fully put my finger on. It wasn't an expectation though of the taste because I've never been a huge fan of "Snickers" -- they are OK but I wouldn't cross the street for one or normally even buy it unless it was Halloween.

Beyond my personal taste how does the dark compare to the milk version of "Snickers"?

First thing to note is that the Dark is smaller -- 1.83 oz vs 2 oz. Thus some differences may be a factor of quantity and not something innate to dark or milk variations of chocolate.

Dark has 250 Calories, Milk 280

Neither has transfat and both have 5g saturated fat and 5mg cholesterol.

Dark has 120mg sodium, Milk 140

Dark has 23g sugars, Milk 30g part of that is probably difference in chocolate since milk versions have more diary and sugar.

Dark has 2g fiber, Milk 1g -- not a high fiber food, Sisters and Brothers.

They have the exact same vitamins and proteins.

So at the end I have to say I don't think this is really healthier for you than the original version of "Snickers". If you like taste better, great, go for it, but don't tell yourself this is better for you.

So where did I get this "Snickers Dark" you are asking? Free coupon and I wanted to compare a dark version to a milk version of a popular mass produced candy bar. I got the coupon through a Friday contest that is going on all summer here.

Sisters and Brothers, may you too take the time to slowly appreciate what the Divine and human ingenuity have offered you in chocolate.

If you are reading in the eastern half of the Midwest, don't forget The Chocolate Cult's first CONTEST.

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