Protein & Nutrition Blog – Marmels
Protein & Nutrition Blog – Marmels
What Does the Cacao Percentage on Chocolate Really Mean?
by Mo Mandegar, PhD
on Oct 27 2026
The cacao percentage on a chocolate label is a proportion, not a grade: it counts the share of the bar that comes from the cacao bean and says little about the rest. Even a 90% bar is 10% other ingredients, and a protein chocolate has to fit its protein and sweetener into the same 100%. Here is what the number measures, what it hides, and how to read a label in five steps.
Protein & Nutrition Blog – Marmels
How Much Sugar Is in Dark Chocolate?
by Mo Mandegar, PhD
on Aug 20 2026
Two bars on the same shelf both say "dark chocolate." One is 47% cacao and one is 72%, and the first holds roughly twice the sugar. The percentage on the front of the wrapper is a sugar ceiling in disguise: 70-85% cacao averages about 24 grams of sugar per 100 grams, while 45-59% averages 49. Here is the full breakdown by tier, what those grams mean against a daily budget, and the three things the percentage will not tell you.
Protein & Nutrition Blog – Marmels
Dark Chocolate and Wine Pairing: A Beginner's Guide
by Mo Mandegar, PhD
on Jul 05 2026
Set dark chocolate next to a dry red and you get either a perfect finish or a chalky, sour mess. The difference comes down to one rule: the wine should be at least as sweet as the chocolate. Here is why the two interact the way they do, and which wines to reach for at each cacao percentage, from a moderate 62% bar to an intense 85%.
