Pecan vs. Bittersweet Chocolate
Nutrition comparison of Pecan and Bittersweet Chocolate
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pecan
versus
bittersweet chocolate
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pecan and bittersweet chocolate:
- Both bittersweet chocolate and pecan are high in calcium, calories, dietary fiber, iron, potassium, protein and saturated fat.
- Pecan has 51% less carbohydrates than bittersweet chocolate.
- Pecan has more beta-carotene than bittersweet chocolate, however, bittersweet chocolate contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than pecan.
- Pecan has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pecan (Nuts, pecans) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both bittersweet chocolate and pecan are high in calories. Pecan has a little more calories (8%) than bittersweet chocolate by weight - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories per 100 grams and pecan has 691 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pecan is lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to bittersweet chocolate per calorie. Pecan has a macronutrient ratio of 5:8:88 and for bittersweet chocolate, 9:18:73 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pecan | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 5% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 8% | 18% |
| Fat | 88% | 73% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pecan has 51% less carbohydrates than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and pecan has 13.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both bittersweet chocolate and pecan are high in dietary fiber. Bittersweet chocolate has 73% more dietary fiber than pecan - bittersweet chocolate has 16.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pecan has 9.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Bittersweet chocolate and pecan contain similar amounts of sugar - bittersweet chocolate has 0.91g of sugar per 100 grams and pecan has 4g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both bittersweet chocolate and pecan are high in protein. Bittersweet chocolate has 56% more protein than pecan - bittersweet chocolate has 14.3g of protein per 100 grams and pecan has 9.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both bittersweet chocolate and pecan are high in saturated fat. Bittersweet chocolate has 422% more saturated fat than pecan - bittersweet chocolate has 32.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pecan has 6.2g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Both bittersweet chocolate and pecan are low in cholesterol - bittersweet chocolate has 2mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pecan does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Pecan has more Vitamin C than bittersweet chocolate - pecan has 1.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Pecan and bittersweet chocolate contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - pecan has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Bittersweet chocolate and pecan contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - bittersweet chocolate has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pecan has 1.4mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Bittersweet chocolate and pecan contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - bittersweet chocolate has 9.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pecan has 3.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pecan has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both pecan and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and folate.
| Pecan | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.66 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.13 MG | 0.1 MG |
| Niacin | 1.167 MG | 1.355 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.863 MG | 0.168 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.21 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Folate | 22 UG | 28 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both bittersweet chocolate and pecan are high in calcium. Bittersweet chocolate has 44% more calcium than pecan - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and pecan has 70mg of calcium.
iron
Both bittersweet chocolate and pecan are high in iron. Bittersweet chocolate has 588% more iron than pecan - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron per 100 grams and pecan has 2.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both bittersweet chocolate and pecan are high in potassium. Bittersweet chocolate has 102% more potassium than pecan - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium per 100 grams and pecan has 410mg 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, pecan has more beta-carotene than bittersweet chocolate per 100 grams, however, bittersweet chocolate contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than pecan per 100 grams.
| Pecan | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 29 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 17 UG | 38 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, pecan has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than bittersweet chocolate per 100 grams.
| Pecan | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.986 G | 0.117 G |
| Total | 0.986 G | 0.117 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pecan has more linoleic acid than bittersweet chocolate per 100 grams.
| Pecan | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.069 G | 0.553 G |
| linoleic acid | 20.628 G | 1.435 G |
| Total | 20.697 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: Pecan (Nuts, pecans) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) .
Pecan g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Bittersweet Chocolate g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
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 % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
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 pecan contain more calories in 100 grams?Both bittersweet chocolate and pecan are high in calories. Pecan has a little more calories ( 10%) than bittersweet chocolate by weight - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories in 100g and pecan has 691 calories.
Does bittersweet chocolate or pecan contain more calcium?
Both bittersweet chocolate and pecan are high in calcium. Bittersweet chocolate has 40% more calcium than pecan - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and pecan has 70mg of calcium.
Does bittersweet chocolate or pecan contain more iron?
Both bittersweet chocolate and pecan are high in iron. Bittersweet chocolate has 590% more iron than pecan - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron in 100 grams and pecan has 2.5mg of iron.
Does bittersweet chocolate or pecan contain more potassium?
Both bittersweet chocolate and pecan are high in potassium. Bittersweet chocolate has 100% more potassium than pecan - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium in 100 grams and pecan has 410mg of potassium.