We've taken a look at the nation's favourite treats and revealed which is the healthiest chocolate bar.
Everyone deserves a treat once in a while, but if you're trying to stick to a balanced diet then you might be keen to find out which are the healthy snack options out of your favourite tasty treats. But it's not always easy, because even the healthiest biscuits and sweets out there can contain hidden sugar. And with research from the British Heart Foundation reporting that us Brits consume an average of 7,560 chocolate bars in a lifetime, it seems like chocolate is a popular option. Whether it's a nutty Snickers, an indulgent Mars or a deliciously minty Aero, we all have our favourites - but is there such thing as a healthy chocolate bar?
Registered nutritionist Jenna Hope recommends opting for dark chocolate when you want a sweet treat. She says, "Dark chocolate is a healthier option than milk chocolate, as the higher cocoa content means there’s less sugar in the bar. Additionally, dark chocolate contains more polyphenols than milk chocolate, and these are plant compounds which have been associated with improved brain function and gut health too." Jenna adds, "Typically dark chocolate is also higher in fibre and protein than milk chocolate too. But do be aware that dark chocolate is often slightly higher in fats than milk chocolate - although this is often more preferable to consuming the higher intakes of sugar which are present in milk chocolate."
With this in mind, we've taken a look at some of the nation's favourite chocolate bars and ranked them from best to worst for your diet. So next time you're looking for a low-calorie chocolate bar, you know which to reach for!
Healthiest chocolate bars, at a glance
- Milky Way
- Curly Wurly
- Kinder Bueno
- Milky Bar
- Smarties
Unhealthiest chocolate bars, at a glance
- Wispa Gold
- Toblerone
- Twix
- Lion Bar
- Yorkie
Healthiest chocolate bars ranked from best to worst:
1. Milky Way
Calories: 98
Fat: 3.5g
The Milky Way bar was revealed as the 24th most popular chocolate bar in the UK in a list published by insight agency Perspectus Global in 2022. And good news for its fans, it's one of the healthiest sweets on the list.
Not only do both pieces in each pack amount to less than 100 calories, they contain almost half as much fat as any other chocolate bar - and we just can't argue with that.
2. Curly Wurly
Calories: 115
Fat: 4g
Aside from a Milky Way, the Curly Wurly is possibly the best chocolate bar you can have as a snack, with just 4g of fat and 115 calories. It's number 29 on the list of most popular bars too, so this is great news for chocolate lovers.
3. Kinder Bueno
Calories: 123
Fat: 8g
Coming in a close third is the iconic Kinder Bueno bar as one of the healthiest chocolate bars you can have as a snack of after lunch treat. It's delicious chocolate coating comes up trumps as there's less than 10g of fat in each bar.
4. Milkybar
Calories: 137
Fat: 7.9g
These white chocolate bars are generally marketed at kids, but with a low calorie and fat content they make a great adult snack too. At just over 130 calories they're one of the lowest calorie chocolate bars on our list - and because white chocolate is sweeter, you don't need so much.
White chocolate fans will also be pleased to know that Milkybar buttons are only 88 calories - even better!
5. Smarties
Calories: 178
Fat: 6.8g
Despite once having a bad reputation for inducing hyperactivity in young children, Smarties are now made with natural dyes to create the range of colours they're so well-known for. At less than 200 calories a tube, they're not a bad treat and can easily be shared between kids if you're worried about over-indulging.
6. Mint Kit Kat
Calories: 160
Fat: 9g
Unlike the original version, the mint Kit Kat is only 160 calories, making it healthier than many chocolate bars on our list. However, it's got almost 10g of fat - so if you're counting calories then this is the one to go for, but if you're looking to cut down on your fat content, this is certainly one to avoid.
7. Lindt Bar
Calories: 160
Fat: 9g
Much like the mint Kit Kat, the Lindt chocolate bar is low in calories but high in fat, so be sure to look out for this when you're browsing the treat aisle next time. It ranks 11th on Perspectus Global's list of the most popular chocolates in Britain, and is healthiest out of the top 15.
8. Maltesers
Calories: 187
Fat: 9.2g
We've all seen the Maltesers adverts where they claim to be 'the lighter way to enjoy chocolate'. Well, they just might be on to something, because the small chocolate balls with a malt honeycomb centre are lower in calories than many of their chocolate counterparts.
9. Cadbury Crunchie
Calories: 187
Fat: 6.9g
Coming in as the 8th most popular chocolate bar, the unique yellow honeycomb centre of a Crunchie is what makes them so popular - and it's not as bad for you as you might think, either. There's a white chocolate Crunchie available to buy in South Africa and a caramel version being sold in some shops in the UK too - yum!
10. Flake
Calories: 171
Fat: 9.8g
Cadbury Flakes were first developed in 1920 and are made from thin layers of chocolate that literally crumble away when you bite into them. They've taken the bronze medal in the list of most popular chocolate bars and at 171 calories they're not a bad snack - but the dark version would be better if we could only get our hands on it!
11. Minstrels
Calories: 212
Fat: 9.3g
Galaxy Minstrels are made up of chocolate buttons with a hard glazed shell. A whole packet is relatively low in calories, and actually contains the same amount of fat as a bag of Maltesers, which are often presumed to be healthier.
12. Mars
Calories: 225
Fat: 8.1g
Coming in at number 14 on the list of most popular chocolate bars is Mars. With 225 calories and nearly 10g of fat, a Mars a day won't be too kind to your health. Why not go for snack-size Mars bars rather than the regular 51g version to keep your calories under control.
13. Toffee Crisp
Calories: 227
Fat: 12g
Toffee Crisps sit at number 22 on the list of popular chocolate bars, thanks to their combination of puffed rice and soft toffee wrapped in milk chocolate. Despite having less calories than some other chocolate bars, the fat content is pretty high.
14. Cadbury Dairy Milk
Calories: 240
Fat: 13.5g
It might be the nation's favourite chocolate bar, but it's not top our list for the healthiest option. Single bars of Dairy Milk might not look that bad for you, but they're deceptive, and while there's nothing wrong with indulging every so often they contain a lot of fat for one bar.
15. Wispa
Calories: 215
Fat: 13.3g
Brought back after a public campaign, delicious Wispas made 5th position on the list of most popular chocolate bars. They're made from milk chocolate with tiny aerated bubbles in the middle - but the fat content is surprisingly high considering the amount of air pockets inside!
16. KitKat
Calories: 232
Fat: 11.3g
Thanks to a clever marketing slogan the classic Kit Kat is associated with tea breaks, with a whopping 47 Kit Kats being eaten every second in the UK. The wafter layers are covered in chocolate and set together in either two or four-finger packs, and if you're watching your calorie intake these might be a chocolate bar to avoid.
17. Galaxy Caramel
Calories: 232 (for a 48g twin bar)
Fat: 11.4g
Did you know that just one chunk of Galaxy Caramel is 42 calories? That's the same as two satsumas, half a grapefruit or five olives. The sugary caramel is responsible for most of the fat content - so this is one to be avoided if you're watching what you eat.
18. Picnic
Calories: 235
Fat: 11g
Picnics are one of the most flavoursome chocolate bars thanks to the nuts, raisins, chewy nougat, biscuit and puffed rice that are wrapped inside the milk chocolate coating. But all this means the calorie level is relatively high, and the fat content isn't that virtuous either.
19. Mint Aero
Calories: 221
Fat: 12.3g
Despite being full of air bubbles giving it a light texture, Mint Aeros have a high fat content compared to some of the healthiest chocolate bars out there. If you love the unique minty flavour, just eat a couple of chunks and leave the rest for another day.
20. Milka
Calorie: 240
Fat: 13g
With its high fat content, the Milka bar is one of the unhealthiest chocolate bars you can have - which is surprising! Many think that Milka is healthier than its Cadbury rivals because it's a thinner bar, but apparently not.
21. Bounty
Calories: 139
Fat: 7.4g
It's known for being the last chocolate left in the box of Celebrations at Christmas, but chocolate lovers might be surprised that this coconut-flavoured snack is the 15th most popular chocolate bar in the UK.
And while it might seem like a low number of calories written on the packet, that amount is for just half of the pre-seperated bar. If you eat the whole thing, you'd be consuming more calories and fat than a Mars (274 calories and 14.8g fat, if you're wondering).
22. Peanut M&Ms
Calories: 250
Fat: 13g
With almost 15g of fat, this is one of the unhealthiest chocolates that you can snack on. Having said that, the advantage of M&Ms is that they come in a sharing bag - as long as you have only the recommended 1/3 of the bag, it's not so bad for a little treat.
23. Snickers
Calories: 250
Fat: 12g
Peanuts and caramel make up a large proportion of the calories and fat content in Snickers bars. Its delicious taste has landed it in seventh place for the most popular chocolate bar in the UK, but while it may taste nice it won't be doing anything for your waistline.
24. Yorkie
Calories: 249
Fat: 14g
The Yorkie ranks number 26 on the list of the nation's favourite chocolate bars, but it's pretty low down our round-up of the healthiest - with a surprisingly high percentage of its 68g weight as fat.
25. Lion
Calories: 257
Fat: 11g
Coming in as one of the worst chocolate bars to have as a snack, the Lion bar is only seven more calories than the Twix, but it's also 1g less in size. So while the two are quite comparable, we've decided that with 1g less of fat, the Lion bar is every so slightly better for you.
26. Twix
Calories: 250
Fat: 12g
Who'd have thought that a Twix was so calorific? The biscuit base and caramel contribute to its 250 calories and 12g fat. At least it's already in two pieces, meaning it's easy to give away half...
27. Toblerone
Calories: 260
Fat: 14g
With only one less gram of fat than our worst chocolate bar, the iconic Toblerone comes in a close second place for the least healthy option. It's the 10th most popular chocolate bar in the UK, but if you're one of its many fans then you'll want to reserve this treat for special occasions.
28. Wispa Gold
Calories: 265
Fat: 15g
Wow! While a standard Wispa might be relatively low on the calorie spectrum, the alternative Wispa Gold tops our list of the worst chocolate bars. With 15g in fat, it's 1g higher than the Toblerone in second place.
Jenna Hope is a Registered Nutritionist with an undeniable passion about making nutrition smarter, clearer and simpler, she provides quick, easy, nutrition advice which you can implement everyday. Founder of Nutrition consultancy firm Jenna Hope Nutrition, Jenna works closely with individuals, corporate clients and brands to implement smarter strategies for nutrition and to support health and wellbeing for the long-term.
If these results shocked you, be sure to check out the healthiest cereals and the healthiest crisps before your next food shop.
