KitKat is one of the popular chocolates from Nestle that people around the world enjoy. It is a milk-based chocolate with a crunchy wafer and lit chocolate coating that makes it really delicious.
However, with the increasing focus on health, many people ask if KitKat chocolate is good for their health.
Short answer: KitKat is not good for health due to its high sugar and saturated fat content. However, eating once in a while will likely not cause any major health issues.
Read this post all the way to learn more about KitKat and how it may affect your health.
So let’s start.
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Nutritional value of KitKat
A 100 serving of KitKat chocolate(Finger bar) contain:
- Calories: 453
- Carbohydrates: 60.9g
- Fat: 19.8g
- Sugar(Total): 39.5g
- Sugar(Added): 32.7g
- Protein: 7.8g
- Fiber: 2.7g
- Sodium: 115.5mg
Ingredients in KitKat
KitKat chocolate is available in several flavors, typically around 7-8. The specific ingredients used in the chocolate can vary depending on the flavor. However, some of the common ingredients that you will find in the majority of the KitKat flavor include:
- Refined wheat flour
- Sugar
- Milk solids
- Cocoa solids
- Cocoa butter
- Fractionable vegetable fat
- Hydrogenated vegetable fat
- Emulsifier(soya lecithin)
- Raising agent((500(ii))
- Yeast
- Iodized salt
- Flour treatment agent(516)
- Artificial flavors
5 Reasons KitKat is not good for health
High in sugar
KitKat chocolate is high in sugar, which is one of the main reasons it’s not good for your health.
A 100g serving of KitKat(finger bar) contains 39.5g of sugar, of which 32.7g is added sugar.
If you choose to eat 30Rs KitKat, it gives you around 15g of sugar, equivalent to almost 4 teaspoons of sugar. If you are an adult, this is about 50% of the daily sugar limit, and for children, this is 62%.
Consuming KitKat on a regular basis or in high amounts can lead to weight gain and increase risk of developing chronic health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Here is the sugar content of the other available flavors of KitKat chocolate:
KitKat flavor | Sugar per 100g |
---|---|
3 Finger bar | 39.5g |
4 Finger bar | 39.2g |
Divine Chocopudding | 38.3g |
Rich Choco Fudge | 37g |
Break Mango | 33.4g |
Heavenly Brownie Kubes | 40g |
Use of refined wheat flour
The wafer part of the KitKat chocolate is made using Refined wheat flour(Maida), which is not nutritious.
Research has shown that individuals who consume Maida-based products are at higher risk of health issues such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
It would be healthier if KitKat used whole wheat flour to make wafers.
High in saturated fat
Adding ingredients like Cocoa butter, Fractionable and Hydrogenated vegetable fat makes KitKat extremely high in saturated fat, which has been known as a bad kind of fat for decades.
Although recent studies have shown that not all kinds of saturated fat are bad for the heart, that comes from specific foods such as processed foods are bad for the heart.
A 100g serving of KitKat(finger bar) contains 17.6g of saturated fat, nearly 90% of the total fat content. Consuming a single 30Rs KitKat would give you 6.6g of saturated fat, which is 50% of the daily recommended saturated fat.
Consuming too much food containing saturated fat can result in high cholesterol, stroke, and other heart problems.
Risk of cavities
KitKat is a sweet treat containing extremely high levels of sugar.
If consumed in excess or frequently, it can increase the risk of tooth decay, also called cavities.
The chocolate is made sticky in texture, making them difficult to remove from teeth, increasing the amount of time sugar stays in contact with your tooth enamel.
This can result in tooth sensitivity, pain, or other dental issues.
Source of empty calories
Empty calories are calories from foods that are low in nutritional value.
A single 100g serving of KitKat(finger bar) contains 453 calories, of which nearly 70 to 75% comes from sugar and fat only, which are empty calories.
Research has shown that people who consume foods containing too many empty calories are at increased risk of excess fat in the body, which may result in weight gain, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and nutritional deficiencies.
Is KitKat good for weight loss?
KitKat is not good for weight loss as it is extremely high in sugar and saturated fat and is a significant source of empty calories.
If consumed in excess, it can add extra unhealthy calories to your overall diet, which might hinder your weight loss efforts.
Final words
While KitKat is undoubtedly a delicious sweet treat to enjoy, it is not good for your health due to its high sugar and saturated fat content.
Consuming frequently KitKat may result in weight gain, cavities, and other chronic health conditions.
However, you can consume it as a part of a healthy diet in moderation, i.e., occasionally.
“Have a break, have a KitKat but only in moderation.”
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