Christmas chocolates RANKED: From Quality Street to Celebrations to a classic Chocolate Orange, how much fat and sugar lurks in YOUR festive favourite?

It’s not just presents getting unwrapped at this time of year: MILLIONS of chocolates are also getting peeled out of their colourful foils on a daily basis—but they could be packing far more sugar and less cocoa than people realise, nutritionists have warned.

Some contain enough sugar to rival even the sickliest fizzy drinks and almost no cocoa—the source of chocolate’s numerable health benefits. It’s a calorific combination which contributes to obesity, and increases the risk of developing deadly heart disease over the festive period.

Experts warn a single serving of Terry’s Chocolate Orange—the equivalent of four segments—contains more calories than a can of Coca-Cola, while a single Ferrero Rocher contains nearly the same amount of fat as a mince pie. 

The NHS advises that adults should eat no more than 30g of added sugar per day, with children recommended to have even less. 

To be classed as chocolate in the UK, a product must contain at least 25 per cent cocoa solids, or in the case of white chocolate, a minimum of 20 per cent cocoa butter. 

A key recipe in chocolate is sugar, but the quantity in a bar can vary drastically, from around just 7g to 50g in a 100g bar.  

Eating too much sugar has been linked with high blood pressure, heart disease and even stroke. It is also linked to a higher risk of long-term conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. 

But, one leading expert told the Daily Mail that chocolate is not all bad, and when eaten in moderation, it can be good for the heart and brain. 

‘The cocoa found in chocolate is a rich source of minerals,’ says nutritional therapist and former Cadbury recipe developer, Alix Tomkinson.

‘It contains magnesium, which helps to maintain healthy bones and promote muscle relaxation as well as iron, which serves to maintain healthy red blood cell production.’ 

Cocoa is also one of the richest dietary sources of antioxidants on the planet. Known as flavanols, these compounds are at the root of many of the findings linking cocoa to disease protection.

And scientists have even proved that regularly eating dark chocolate can improve alertness, with a 100g-sized bar containing nearly as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. 

So what’s the truth when it comes to some of our favourite Christmas chocolates?  

To help chocolate lovers to make more informed choices ahead of the big day, the Daily Mail asked registered nutritionist Stefanie Daniels to assess the sugar, fat and cocoa content of popular Christmas chocolates, ranking them from worst to best ahead of the big day (although a lot of us have been scoffing them since the start of the month). 

Quality Street Toffee Penny – 0/10

Quality Street’s Toffee Penny are a Christmas classic, but nutrition experts warn the iconic disc-shaped chews are high in calories, saturated fat and sugar. 

The classic sweets are primarily made of sugar and glucose syrup which is added to make them sweeter and give them a silky smooth yet chewy texture. 

Technically, glucose syrup is classed as a ‘free sugar’, which refers to sugars added to foods and drinks, plus additional sugars added during the manufacturing processes of honey, syrups and juices. 

Free sugars offer zero nutrition, and contribute to weight gain and tooth decay. 

The glucose syrup which makes up the core of a Toffee Penny—and similar sweets—is paired with fats, providing and unmatchable sweet taste and moreish texture that makes them all too easy to overeat, Daniels explains. 

As these free sugars typically aren’t paired with any other nutrients, with toffee pennies containing no cocoa whatsoever, they provide next to nothing in the way of fibre or protein, but are almost guaranteed to spike blood sugar levels. 

This results in rapid spikes and crashes in energy levels, tempting us to have just one more, leaving the body craving another quick-acting dopamine hit. 

• Quality Street, £4.50 from Tesco 

Lindt Lindor White Chocolate Truffles – 1/10

With 45g of sugar per 100g, Lindt Lindor White Chocolate Truffles are a fairly typical example of white chocolate products, Daniels says. 

They are lower in calories than some other white chocolate festive favourites, like the discontinued Terry’s White Chocolate Orange, and contain natural vanilla flavourings, but they still have a high sugar content, which affects its rating. 

One silver lining, and something we should focus on at Christmas, Daniels says, is that cocoa butter is a main contributor to chocolate’s fat content and its considered to be one of the healthier forms of fat, compared to vegetable fats. 

This is because cocoa butter contains oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid that is said to lower levels of so-called bad cholesterol and raise levels of good cholesterol, protecting against heart problems. 

• Lindt Lindor White Chocolate Truffles, £7.50 from Tesco 

Celebrations’ Galaxy and Galaxy Caramel – 3/10

Overall, Daniels says, Celebrations are one of the worst offenders on the list, regardless if you’re reaching for a Malteser or a Bounty.

This is because they come in highly palatable portions, which encourage repeated indulgence, warns Daniels.

The bitesize morsels lead to mindless snacking and a higher overall sugar and fat intake, despite each chocolate appearing modest in size. 

This is especially true of choices like Galaxy Smooth Milk and Galaxy Caramel, which have a very high sugar and fat content per serving. 

Most of these chocolates contain additional vegetable fats and emulsifiers—which have been linked to a number of health conditions including diabetes—lowering their rating compared to more premium options that stick to cocoa butter. 

• Celebrations, £6.00 from Sainsbury’s 

Terry’s Milk Chocolate Orange 4/10

Few chocolates are as synonymous with Christmas as Terry’s Chocolate Orange,  however nutritionists warn it is among the highest calorie treats. 

While lower in fat (8g) and saturated fat (5g) per serving compared to some other milk chocolate options, the globes are very high in sugar (17g), packing in nearly 20 per cent of an adult’s daily allowance in a single serving.  

‘The added milk and sugar also dilute the cocoa content, making it easier to overeat than dark chocolate,’ Daniels added. 

‘However, it is slightly less disruptive than filled chocolates, like Quality Street’s Orange Creams, because it doesn’t melt as rapidly or bypass satiety to the same extent. 

‘You still get some bite and texture which helps the body recognise you’ve eaten something.’ 

• Terry’s Chocolate Orange, £2.50 from Sainsbury’s 

Ferrero Rocher – 5/10

Ferrero Rochers, made with roasted hazelnuts, wafer pieces and smooth milk chocolate, are a seasonal favourite- and they’re definitely not the worst option. 

Despite being at the lower end of the cocoa content scale, with milk chocolate making up just 30 per cent of the ingredients, the hazelnuts bring natural fats and vitamin E into the mix – a powerful antioxidant for skin and cell protection. 

That being said, paired with the additional palm oil, this pushes the overall fat content of a single serving over that of a mince pie, which are notoriously high in saturated fat. 

To put it in perspective, just one Ferrero Rocher contains 5g of saturated fat, hich is nearly the same amount as an average mince pie which contains around 7g of fat. 

Furthermore, a single serving of Ferrero Rochers, which works out as just three of the knobbly golden globes, contains nearly 17g of fat, more than half of the NHS’ daily recommendation for adults.  

• Ferrero Rocher 24 pieces, £10.50 from Tesco

After Eights  – 7/10

After Eights are one of the best options when it comes to indulging at Christmas, Daniels says.

This is because they contain a higher proportion of cocoa solids compared to most milk chocolate, containing a minimum of 43 per cent cocoa solids in addition to cocoa butter. 

The strong peppermint flavoured fondant also curbs appetite and cleanses the palette, reducing the risk of overeating. 

‘Stronger flavours five the brain more time to register satisfaction, making it easier to stop after one or two,’ Daniels says. 

This makes the mint fancies one of the healthier options, in terms of calorie control, but nutritionally, After Eights are still very high in sugar with one serving containing a whopping 11.5g. 

• After Eight £4.00, from Tesco 

Lindt Lindor Extra Dark Chocolate Truffles  9/10

At around 75 per cent cocoa, these truffles are naturally lower in sugar- roughly half that of the milk chocolate alternative – and higher in polyphenols which have been shown to reduce inflammation, protect cells from oxidative stress and boost brain health. 

Although the delectable truffles are higher in fat (53g per serving), the health benefits of dark chocolate, such as polyphenols, are amplified with such a high cocoa percentage, making it the healthiest option here, Daniels says. 

‘However because they are designed to melt in the mouth, it is very easy to eat more than we should in one sitting.

‘This is because there is less chewing, the brain receives less of the “I’ve had enough” signal, stopping them from scoring 10/10,’ Daniel said. 

• Lindt Lindor Extra Dark Chocolate Truffles, £7.50 from Tesco 

 Booja Booja Deeply Chocolate Truffles 9/10 

Organic, vegan and dairy and gluten free, Booja Booja’s truffles are made with health in mind. 

And whilst the fat content might seem alarmingly high for a healthier treat, most of this comes from organic coconut oil, rather than palm oils, which has been shown to improve blood sugar control- because of its high fibre but low sugar composition. 

The use of organic and fairtrade ingredients improves their rating, but with significantly less cocoa solids than the Lindt dark chocolate spheres, at just 55 per cent, these too cannot be awarded a perfect score, Daniels says. 

• Booja Booja Deeply Chocolate Truffles, £7.50 from Ocado