Before You Give Kids Dark Chocolate, Doctors Want You To Know A Few Things

Dark chocolate is low in sugar, full of antioxidants and has been shown to be good for your heart and brain. These health benefits are likely why one-third of adults say it’s their preferred chocolate, so you might think it’s a great treat for their kids, too.

But pediatricians and nutritionists say there are a few things to know before doling out dark chocolate to your little ones.

“It would be recommended that the child not eat dark chocolate in excess and avoid providing it before bed,” Amy Reed, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told HuffPost.

The main reason is that dark chocolate contains caffeine, she explained.

While there’s no harm for most kids to eat some dark chocolate (and any other kind of chocolate), moderation is key, explained Anet Piridzhanyan, a clinical dietitian in the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

“All foods, including candy, have a place at the table,” she told HuffPost. But here’s what you should know about giving your kids dark chocolate.

How much caffeine is in dark chocolate — and is it too much for kids?

An ounce of dark chocolate with 60-69% cacao contains 24 mg of caffeine, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s about the same amount as a quarter cup of coffee, Beth Natt, system medical director of pediatrics at Atlantic Health System, told HuffPost.

“Small amounts are likely to be well tolerated,” she said. But larger amounts could bring side effects similar to what adults experience when they have too much caffeine: difficulty sleeping, anxiety, diarrhea, vomiting and elevated heart rate and blood pressure.

As a stimulant, caffeine often has a bigger impact on growing bodies than on adults, added Piridzhanyan. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that adults limit their caffeine intake to 400 mg a day— but the agency doesn’t have recommendations for kids.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests kids avoid caffeine, Natalie Rine, director of the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, told HuffPost. The Canadian Paediatric Society agrees with that recommendation, but since caffeine is found in many foods and beverages, Health Canada has published healthy daily caffeine limits by age:

• Kids 4-6 years: less than 45 mg (the equivalent of about 2 ounces of dark chocolate)

• Kids 7-9 years: less than 62.5 mg

• Kids 10-12 years: less than 85 mg

• Kids 13 and older: less than 2.5 mg per kilogram of body weight

• Adults: less than 400 mg

“If a child is eating dark chocolate in excess, then they could be consuming excess amounts of caffeine,” Reed said. Most likely, they’re not getting all their caffeine from dark chocolate, though, Natt added.

Sodas, energy drinks and other types of candy and sweets also contain caffeine. New guidelines from a coalition of health organizations, including AAP and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, recommended that young people ages 5 to 18 avoid beverages with caffeine and other stimulants.

Does Dark Chocolate Contain Heavy Metals?

In 2023, Consumer Reports released a report stating that some dark chocolate products may contain harmful levels of the heavy metals lead and cadmium.

However, a 2024 study published in Food Research International found that consuming an ounce of dark chocolate daily posed no adverse risks for adults and only a minor cadmium concern for kids. It also found that chocolates from West Africa and Asia had the lowest amounts of these metals.

The takeaway is that dark chocolate in moderation poses little risk to children, Rine said. Parents can also check the country of origin, too, if they’re concerned, Reed added.

Another thing to note is that the Food Research International study suggested that dark chocolate also contains copper, iron, manganese, magnesium and zinc, which are nutrients that can “restrict the bioavailability” of cadmium and lead — meaning it limits how much can be absorbed by the body.

What type of chocolate should you give your kids?

Dark chocolate typically contains less sugar than milk chocolate. But it might not always be palatable to kids since it’s not as sweet and creamy, Piridzhanyan said. The dark chocolate that they might find tastier may have added sugar.

“Deciding what is safe to feed your child can be overwhelming for parents,” she said.

Check nutrition labels and be mindful about the amount of sugar and number of calories in any chocolate that you choose for your kids, Rine said. Also, dark chocolate with a lower percentage of cacao would likely contain less caffeine and be safer for younger children.

Dark chocolate typically has more antioxidants than milk chocolate and contains iron, Piridzhanyan said. But milk chocolate usually contains calcium, added Reed.

“When eaten in moderation, there is likely not a huge difference between dark and milk chocolate,” Natt said. “Neither should be a substantial part of a child’s diet.”

What’s important is balance, Piridzhanyan said. “Chocolate can be a food they enjoy, just as any other food or candy, if provided in moderation, along with plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, as part of a healthy lifestyle.”