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Can I eat chocolate while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Chocolate shows Check in Doola Scan for pregnancy in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, because it contains caffeine that counts toward your daily limit. The amount is small: the NHS says a 50g bar of plain dark chocolate has less than 25mg and milk chocolate less than 10mg. The daily limit is what differs: 200mg in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, and 300mg from Health Canada. In the US, ACOG says less than 200mg a day.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Dark chocolate, the bar with the most caffeine

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Milk chocolate bars and sweets

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Hot chocolate and cocoa drinks

    CheckIn all six countries
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says

Chocolate while pregnant: what each country says.

Each country's own pregnancy guidance on chocolate, with a link to it. Doola Scan uses your country's first.

  • United States

    Check
    • ACOGModerate caffeine (less than 200 mg a day) does not cause miscarriage or preterm birth.Source
    • FDANo set pregnancy limit; talk to your health care provider about whether to limit caffeine.Source
    • MyHealthfinder (HHS)Limit caffeine; ask your doctor if caffeine is safe for you, or try decaf.Source
    • ACOGModerate intake is not a major factor in miscarriage or preterm birth.Source

  • United Kingdom

    Check
    • NHSHigh caffeine intake is linked to miscarriage and stillbirth.Source
    • NHSNo more than 200 mg caffeine a day in pregnancy.Source

  • Canada

    Check
    • CPSLimit caffeine in pregnancy; consider cutting it out.Source
    • Health CanadaMaximum 300 mg caffeine a day when pregnant (about two 8-oz cups of coffee).Source
    • Health CanadaMaximum 300 mg caffeine a day when pregnant.Source

  • Australia

    Check
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Limit caffeine to 200 mg a day or less, or avoid it.Source
    • FSANZNo more than 200 mg caffeine a day from all sources.Source
    • healthdirectLimit caffeine to 200 mg a day when pregnant.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Maximum 200 mg caffeine per day (total) in pregnancy.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Maximum 200 mg/day.Source

  • New Zealand

    Check
    • Health NZNo more than 4 cups tea or instant coffee (or 3 plunger coffees) a day.Source
    • Health NZUp to 200 mg caffeine a day in pregnancy.Source

  • Ireland

    Check
    • HSELimit caffeine to 200 mg a day (2 instant coffees, 1 filter coffee, 2-4 teas); limit energy drinks.Source
What to check

Before you eat chocolate.

  1. Add chocolate to your caffeine for the day

    The NHS says no more than 200mg of caffeine a day in pregnancy, and counts chocolate with tea, coffee, cola and energy drinks. It puts a 50g bar of plain dark chocolate at less than 25mg and a 50g bar of milk chocolate at less than 10mg. NHS

  2. Use your country's daily limit

    Health Canada says keep caffeine below 300mg a day in pregnancy, about two 8 oz cups of coffee, and to include chocolate in that total. Health NZ, the HSE in Ireland and Australia's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby all say 200mg. Health Canada

  3. Count baking chocolate as the strongest kind

    Health Canada lists 1 oz of milk chocolate candy at 7mg of caffeine, sweet chocolate at 19mg, and unsweetened baking chocolate at 25 to 58mg. Brownies and cakes made with a lot of dark or baking chocolate carry more than a milk chocolate bar. Health Canada

Questions

About chocolate
in pregnancy.

The limit is on caffeine, not chocolate. The NHS says no more than 200mg a day, and a 50g bar of plain dark chocolate has less than 25mg, so it's the coffee, tea and energy drinks on the same day that usually add up. Health Canada's limit is 300mg.

Dark chocolate shows Check in all six countries, for its caffeine. It has more than milk chocolate: Health NZ puts a 50g chocolate bar at about 30mg, and Health Canada lists unsweetened baking chocolate at 25 to 58mg per ounce.

Hot chocolate shows Check in Doola Scan in all six countries, like chocolate itself. Health Canada lists 8 oz of chocolate milk at 8mg of caffeine, much less than the 135mg it gives for a cup of brewed coffee.

ACOG says moderate caffeine, less than 200mg a day, does not cause miscarriage or preterm birth. The FDA sets no pregnancy limit of its own and asks you to talk to your health care provider about caffeine.

The pregnancy guidance in these six countries is about chocolate's caffeine. If you're worried about how much you've eaten, talk to your midwife or doctor.

Шоколад показывает Check в Doola Scan во всех шести странах из-за кофеина. NHS говорит, что в 50 г тёмного шоколада меньше 25 мг кофеина, а дневной лимит в Великобритании 200 мг.

Coklat menunjukkan Check di Doola Scan di keenam negara karena kafeinnya. Menurut NHS, 50 g coklat hitam mengandung kurang dari 25 mg kafein, dan batasnya 200 mg sehari.

Yes. Take a photo of the wrapper, the menu or the plate, and Doola Scan checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance, caffeine included. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
Doola Scan

Not sure about a meal? Scan it.

Point Doola at a plate, a menu or a label. It checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance and shows its sources. Food scans are free, 3 a day.

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Doola shows what official guidance says; it never diagnoses. No known issues means none of these countries' pregnancy guidance names it, not a promise that a food is safe.