Vanilla Ice Cream vs. Bittersweet Chocolate
Nutrition comparison of Vanilla Ice Cream and Bittersweet Chocolate
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
vanilla ice cream
versus
bittersweet chocolate
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in vanilla ice cream and bittersweet chocolate:
- Both bittersweet chocolate and vanilla ice cream are high in calcium, calories and saturated fat.
- Bittersweet chocolate has 21 times less cholesterol than vanilla ice cream.
- Bittersweet chocolate has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, vanilla ice cream contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
- Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Vanilla ice cream is a great source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Vanilla Ice Cream (Ice creams, vanilla) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both bittersweet chocolate and vanilla ice cream are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 210% more calories than vanilla ice cream - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories per 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 207 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, vanilla ice cream is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to bittersweet chocolate for protein. Vanilla ice cream has a macronutrient ratio of 7:45:48 and for bittersweet chocolate, 9:18:73 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Vanilla Ice Cream | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 45% | 18% |
| Fat | 48% | 73% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Bittersweet chocolate and vanilla ice cream contain similar amounts of carbs - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 23.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 22 times more dietary fiber than vanilla ice cream - bittersweet chocolate has 16.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 0.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Vanilla ice cream is high in sugar and bittersweet chocolate has 96% less sugar than vanilla ice cream - bittersweet chocolate has 0.91g of sugar per 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 21.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of protein and it has 309% more protein than vanilla ice cream - bittersweet chocolate has 14.3g of protein per 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 3.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both bittersweet chocolate and vanilla ice cream are high in saturated fat. Bittersweet chocolate has 375% more saturated fat than vanilla ice cream - bittersweet chocolate has 32.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 6.8g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Bittersweet chocolate has 21 times less cholesterol than vanilla ice cream - bittersweet chocolate has 2mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 44mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Vanilla ice cream and bittersweet chocolate contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - vanilla ice cream has 0.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Vanilla ice cream is a great source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than bittersweet chocolate - vanilla ice cream has 118ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Vanilla ice cream has more Vitamin D than bittersweet chocolate - vanilla ice cream has 8iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Bittersweet chocolate and vanilla ice cream contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - bittersweet chocolate has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 0.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Bittersweet chocolate and vanilla ice cream contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - bittersweet chocolate has 9.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Bittersweet chocolate has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, vanilla ice cream contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both vanilla ice cream and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Vanilla Ice Cream | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.041 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.24 MG | 0.1 MG |
| Niacin | 0.116 MG | 1.355 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.581 MG | 0.168 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.048 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 28 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.39 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both bittersweet chocolate and vanilla ice cream are high in calcium. Vanilla ice cream has 27% more calcium than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 128mg of calcium.
iron
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of iron and it has 192 times more iron than vanilla ice cream - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron per 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 0.09mg of iron.
potassium
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of potassium and it has 317% more potassium than vanilla ice cream - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium per 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 199mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids,
| Vanilla Ice Cream | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 19 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 38 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both vanilla ice cream and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Vanilla Ice Cream | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.175 G | 0.117 G |
| EPA | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.178 G | 0.117 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, bittersweet chocolate has more linoleic acid than vanilla ice cream per 100 grams.
| Vanilla Ice Cream | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.275 G | 1.435 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.553 G |
| Total | 0.275 G | 1.988 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Vanilla Ice Cream (Ice creams, vanilla) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) .
Vanilla Ice Cream g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Bittersweet Chocolate g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does bittersweet chocolate or vanilla ice cream contain more calories in 100 grams?Both bittersweet chocolate and vanilla ice cream are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 210% more calories than vanilla ice cream - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories in 100g and vanilla ice cream has 207 calories.
Does bittersweet chocolate or vanilla ice cream have more carbohydrates?
By weight, bittersweet chocolate and vanilla ice cream contain similar amounts of carbs - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of carbs for 100g and vanilla ice cream has 23.6g of carbohydrates.
Does bittersweet chocolate or vanilla ice cream contain more calcium?
Both bittersweet chocolate and vanilla ice cream are high in calcium. Vanilla ice cream has 30% more calcium than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 128mg of calcium.
Does bittersweet chocolate or vanilla ice cream contain more iron?
Bittersweet chocolate is an abundant source of iron and it has 192 times more iron than vanilla ice cream - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron in 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 0.09mg of iron.
Does bittersweet chocolate or vanilla ice cream contain more potassium?
Bittersweet chocolate is a rich source of potassium and it has 320% more potassium than vanilla ice cream - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium in 100 grams and vanilla ice cream has 199mg of potassium.