Dark chocolate is low in sugar, full of antioxidants and has been shown to be good for your heart and brain. These health benefits are likely why one-third of adults say it’s their preferred chocolate, so you might think it’s a great treat for their kids, too.

But paediatricians and nutritionists say there are a few things to know before doling out dark chocolate to your little ones.

“It would be recommended that the child not eat dark chocolate in excess and avoid providing it before bed,” Amy Reed, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told HuffPost.

The main reason is that dark chocolate contains caffeine, she explained.

While there’s no harm for most kids to eat some dark chocolate (and any other kind of chocolate), moderation is key, explained Anet Piridzhanyan, a clinical dietitian in the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

“All foods, including candy, have a place at the table,” she told HuffPost. But here’s what you should know about giving your kids dark chocolate.

How much caffeine is in dark chocolate – and is it too much for kids?

An ounce of dark chocolate with 60-69% cacao contains 24 mg of caffeine, according to the US Department of Agriculture. That’s about the same amount as a quarter cup of coffee, Beth Natt, system medical director of pediatrics at Atlantic........

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