The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company opened their factory in San Francisco, California, in 1852. Ghirardelli is one of the few companies in America that continues to oversee the entire manufacturing process for all of their products, from roasting cacao beans to the final details on the packaging. They have expanded their product line to include more than just chocolate bars. They produce and sell high quality hot cocoa, cocoa powder, baking chocolate, chocolate sauces and individual chocolate squares.
Calories
A single serving of Ghirardelli dark chocolate 60 percent cacao squares, four squares according to the label, contains 220 calories. If you could make yourself eat only one, you would consume 55 calories.
Carbohydrates
Four of Ghirardelli's dark chocolate 60 percent cacao squares contain a total of 23 g of carbohydrates, including 3 g of dietary fiber and 16 g of sugar. One square contains 5.75 g of carbohydrates, 0.75 g of dietary fiber and 4 g of sugar.
Fats
There are 17 g total fat, with 10 g of saturated fat, in a serving of Ghirardelli dark chocolate 60 percent cacao squares. A single dark chocolate 60 percent cacao square yields 4.25 g total fat, including 2.5 g of saturated fat. Ghirardelli dark chocolate does not contain any trans fat or cholesterol. One serving, or four squares, contains 50 percent of the daily recommended maximum intake for saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends that you limit your saturated fat intake because it can raise blood cholesterol and in turn raise your risk for heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
Protein
One serving, four squares, of Ghirardelli dark chocolate 60 percent cacao squares provides 2 g of protein. A single square contains only 0.5 g of protein.
Minerals
Four of the squares contain 15 percent of the daily recommended intake for iron, based on a 2,000 calorie diet. They also contain 2 percent of the daily recommended intake for calcium. If you ate only one square, you would still consume almost 4 percent of your daily recommended intake for iron, however, you would only consume .5 percent of your daily recommended intake for calcium.
Health Benefits of Chocolate
According to Katherine Zeratsky, a Mayo Clinic nutritionist, "chocolate and its main ingredient, cocoa, appear to reduce risk factors for heart disease." She states that the cocoa beans used to produce chocolate contain high levels of flavanols which have been shown to reduce cell damage associated with heart disease, as well as lower blood pressure. She recommends that you choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate. More specifically, purchase chocolate that is at least 65 percent cacao. She also advises that you eat no more than 3 oz., or 85 g, each day because chocolate generally contains high levels of calories, fat and sugar with low levels of essential nutrients.
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