Greens, beans, nuts, and seeds get top billing when we think of fiber-rich ingredients, but they’re not the only ones that will help you get closer to your daily goal. There are quite a few surprising foods that deliver on this front, from unexpectedly high-fiber veggies like potatoes and pumpkin, to treats you might never have thought to associate with the nutrient in the first place—like chocolate!

Yes, chocolate—or, to be more specific, dark chocolate. This ingredient is finally getting its due in this department thanks to a viral breakfast making the rounds on TikTok. Shared by Karan Rajan, MRCS, MBBS, the yogurt bowl is designed to deliver a high amount of fiber in the most delicious and low-lift way possible. With fiber-rich fruits like raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, along with soaked chia seeds (and some kefir yogurt for protein), it already clocks in at 15 grams of fiber (not to mention 30 grams of protein). The coup de grace? The three to four extra grams of fiber that come from just one ounce of shaved, melted, or chopped dark chocolate.

Although I’d be happy to take any excuse to eat more chocolate, I had some questions first. Namely, I wanted to know if its notable fiber content was legit or if it was just another instance of health benefits being a tad overstated on TikTok (looking at you, prebiotic sodas). And then if it wasn’t just hype, if milk chocolate packed just as big a fiber punch too.

First order of business: It’s true that there is fiber in dark chocolate, but exactly how much comes down to a couple important factors: Its cocoa content and the specific brand, Wendy Lopez, MS, RD, cofounder of Diabetes Digital, a virtual nutrition counseling platform for people with prediabetes and diabetes, tells SELF. In general, a higher percentage of cocoa solids in a bar of chocolate equates to a larger fiber content. “That’s because cocoa itself is naturally rich in fiber, especially the insoluble kind, which helps support digestion and gut health,” she explains.

It all comes down to the cocoa, which, after all, is made from cocoa beans. In the case of cocoa, we’re not talking about actual beans—one of the highest-fiber categories of food out there—but instead, seeds. And as we know from chia seeds, foods like these are pretty darn fiber-rich too.

The amount of cocoa—which is often listed by percentage on the label of your bar—plays a big role in its fiber content. A one-ounce serving with 70% cacao will typically deliver between two to three grams, while the same amount from a bar made of 85% cocoa will get you about three or four. And serious dark chocolate lovers can get as much as seven grams with 100% cocoa.

“For context, the daily fiber recommendation is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men in the US,” Lopez explains. “So while chocolate isn’t exactly a fiber powerhouse, darker varieties can give you a helpful bump.”

Brand matters too, since each organization processes their cocoa just a little bit differently. Lindt’s 70% offerings contain roughly two grams per ounce, but the same level of cocoa in Theo’s dark chocolate has three grams, Sapna Peruvemba, MS, RDN, registered dietitian and founder of Health by Sapna, tells SELF. “The higher the cocoa percentage, the more of the cocoa bean’s outer layer—called the bran—is retained during processing,” and that’s where the insoluble fiber comes from, she explains. This difference in processing is also why things like whole wheat bread and pasta are higher in fiber than their more-refined counterparts.

While this is great news for dark chocolate lovers, those who prefer theirs with a touch of milk won’t reap as many benefits. Peruvemba explains that bars with less than 70% cocoa tend to dilute the fibrous elements of chocolate with added ingredients like milk and sugar, so you generally won’t get more than a gram per ounce (and often less) from your go-to milk chocolate bar. That’s not nothing, but it also won’t move the needle on your fiber intake in a significant way, she adds.

What’s more, even dark chocolate doesn’t contain that much fiber when compared to much more fiber-dense ingredients like chia seeds, so it’s better to see it as a “fiber-boosting flavor enhancer” rather than a magic bullet that delivers on all your needs, Lopez says. So, even though she wouldn’t call them a go-to fiber source, she agrees that they can be a good and delicious way to complement a meal that already has a fair amount of the nutrient in it.

And Dr. Rajan’s viral breakfast just may be a good starting point. Simply put, it gives a quick way to combine dark chocolate with other fiber-rich ingredients in a way that relies on classic flavor combos—like red fruits and chocolate in this instance—yet is easy to make and, most importantly, tasty.

And there are a number of ways to achieve the same result from a similar methodology. You could try stirring a couple squares into a bowl of stovetop oats, an already high-fiber meal (or sprinkling a chopped bar on top of overnight oats if that’s more your speed), drizzling it over a bowl of berries with a crunchy nut and seed medley, or mixing chunks or chips into the batter of flaxseed waffles or pancakes.

Plus: Chocolate is definitely not limited to sweet treats and morning meals. Peruvemba says that it’s right at home in a number of savory dishes too. It’s already commonly featured in things like mole, a traditional Mexican sauce that combines chili peppers and cocoa, among other ingredients, but can also elevate dishes where it’s not typically used—like in a rich and earthy vinaigrette or in chili where its bitter notes will add extra depth.

Whichever way you take your cocoa, you can rest assured that there are a (choco)lot of ways to take advantage of the fiber in it.

Related:

• This 2-Ingredient Breakfast Is My New Favorite Way to Get Protein in Early
• I Tried TikTok’s Protein-Packed ‘Fluffy Yogurt’ Trend—And I Just Have One Tweak
• 15 Easy Ways to Eat a Little More Fiber Every Day

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