Is Chocolate Safe During Pregnancy? What Moms Need to Know (Plus My Go-To Brand)

             Pregnancy is an exciting time filled with wonder and anticipation, but it’s also a time filled with uncertainty, especially for first-time mothers.

            Most expectant moms are dedicated to doing everything possible to ensure they have the healthiest pregnancies possible, but knowing how to follow through on that intention isn’t always easy. Not only is there a lot of conflicting information, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the virtual tidal wave of suggested dos & don’ts—especially since they aren’t always well-defined.

         While pregnant women are concerned about a wide array of subject matters, some of the most common questions expectant moms have surround food safety. 

            Can they eat sushi? Not if it contains raw fish.

            Can they eat cheese? Only if it’s pasteurized.

            How about coffee? Doctor’s typically recommended that it be moderated, but how about other sources of caffeine?

            Most people aren’t surprised to learn that chocolate is one of the most common food cravings experienced by women all over the world—both in pregnancy and not. This begs the obvious question: Is chocolate safe during pregnancy?

            Like most things, the honest answer, based on all of the information currently available is, “It depends.”

            Barring an actual allergy, chocolate in and of itself isn’t an issue for most pregnant women. Provided that care is taken to ensure that the chocolate consumed is of the highest quality, moderate consumption shouldn’t be an issue for the average gestating woman.

            That said, here are a few things to keep in mind when selecting which chocolates to enjoy during pregnancy:

CAFFEINE: According to Health Canada, caffeine is safe in small amounts, but pregnant women would do well to cap their daily intake at 300 mg. The American Pregnancy Association is a little more conservative, recommending a maximal range of 150 – 300 mg of caffeine per day.

            So what does that look like? While there is always going to be a little bit of variance in natural products, on average, an 8-oz cup of brewed coffee contains 80 – 150 mg of caffeine, a 1-oz shot of espresso contains 60 – 65 mg of caffeine, an 8-oz cup of black tea contains 40 – 70 mg, and an 8-oz cup of green tea contains 25 – 35 mg of caffeine.

            The caffeine contained in chocolate varies depending on the amount of cacao solids it contains. White chocolate—which contains cacao butter, but not cacao solids—typically contains 0 mg of caffeine, while a 100% cacao bar might contain anywhere from 40 – 125 mg of caffeine per 100 g. The darker the chocolate, the more caffeine it contains.

HEAVY METALS: According to a 2022 Consumer Reports publication, many brands of dark chocolate contain concerning levels of lead and cadmium. Given that pregnant woman are advised to be particularly mindful of minimizing their consumption of heavy metals, expectant mothers hoping to indulge in dark chocolate would be well-advised to select brands that test low in heavy metals.

SUGAR: Expert opinion seems divided on how much sugar is too much sugar, but most seem to agree that pregnant women would do well to keep free sugars down to 30 g or less per day. In an ideal world, all of this would come from unrefined or lightly processed sweeteners. Sugar is still sugar, but whole sugars can contribute notable quantities of nutrients that might be fully absent from their refined counterparts.

             This makes Zazubean an excellent option for pregnant women hoping to indulge their chocolate tooth. It’s delicious, nutritious, tested low in heavy metals, and made using minimally processed sugars. Zazubean also offers a wide array of bars, which should offer many opportunities to select a mix of chocolates that will meet the suggested caffeine and sugar quotas.

·       Functional support (Superfood line)

·       Lower sugar options (Coconut sugar line)

·       Sugar-free choices (Slinky line).

My go-to bar. Sweetened with unrefined sugar. Tested low in heavy metals. Absolutely delicious.

            As a reference point, according to Zazubean’s product experts, one 85 g bar of Nudie 80% (part of the Coconut sugar line) contains approximately 60 to 70 mg of caffeine and 15 g of sugar. Bars containing higher cacao solids will contain more caffeine and less sugar, while bars with lower cacao solids will contain less caffeine and more sugar—with the exception of products in the Slinky line, which have been sweetened with erythritol, a sugar alcohol generally regarded as safe in pregnancy when consumed in moderation.

            As delectable and nutrient-dense as dark chocolate can be, nothing is perfect for everybody. While moderate intake of high-quality chocolate isn’t likely to be of concern for the average pregnant woman, when in doubt, expectant mothers should discuss the matter with their physician since medical professionals are in the best position to guide their patients on how much chocolate—if any—is best for them at this time.

Bon appétit!