How awesome is chocolate. I know I say that a lot but I really am a chocoholic.
But today I need to get something off my chest, because I’ve been really frustrated with chocolate lately. You see, I’ve been thinking about chocolate and how it has been made into a junk food when really that should never have happened. The cacao bean that chocolate is made out of is a superfood that’s GREAT for our bodies and GREAT for our skin. It contains ten times more antioxidants than green tea, and way more antioxidants than those little dark berries that everyone always talks about being so great for our skin.
So this perfect food, this mineral rich source of amazing energy has had all of its goodness squeezed out of it, then a ton of bad fats, chemicals and sugar added to it to turn it into the Cadburys and the Hersheys that we’re all so familiar with. So what started out as a superfood, has been turned into a junk food.
I just don’t understand why there isn’t an abundance of healthy chocolate available, because chocolate does not need all of that stuff added to it and it can be made with all of it’s amazing nutrients intact. That’s right, it is possible to use the cacao bean in its raw form to make chocolate that is actually healthy for you. Chocolate that does not contain any bad sugars or chemicals. Chocolate that you can eat as a treat AND as a health food!
So I’ve been on a search for this healthy chocolate, it’s my quest to find the ‘ultimate healthiest chocolate’. Because I know it’s out there. Every health store that I visit in whatever city I’m in, I always check their chocolate isle while I’m there. What I’m looking for is chocolate that does not contain any sugar, bad sugar alternatives, or chemicals, and something that is preferable organic.
Whenever I find a chocolate that fits my strict criteria, I’ll post it on the blog, because it’s chocolate you and I can eat that will not give us acne, and in fact, is actually great for our skin.
Healthy chocolate in Chicago - Wholefoods store
When I was recently in Chicago for three days I visited a Wholefoods store that was near the apartment I was staying in. I cruised past the chocolate aisle (as usual) and I couldn’t believe it, I actually found one, I found a healthy chocolate! I was so ecstatic until I saw the price. $10 for something about as big as a Freddo Frog. Wow, healthy food can sometimes really cost a lot. So I just bought one and tried not to feel too bad about the price because at least I could write about it on my blog.
But, you can’t get any healthier than this chocolate. They’re so incredibly basic and raw which is awesome. These chocolates are hand-made and the only ingredients they contain are raw organic cacao and raw organic agave nectar. Agave is my favorite sweetener because it’s natural and it has a VERY low GI so I know it won’t break me out.
This is what the packaging looks like:
There were 6 small chocolates inside the box (I shared half with my travel buddy). As you can see this is a very dark chocolate, which I actually like. So if you only eat milk or white chocolate, then you may have trouble with this one. But considering it’s a health food I’m sure you’ll give it a try!
I was very surprised at the texture of the chocolate. It was not crisp like chocolate at all, it was more like fudge, soft and chewy. It tasted gorgeous, a rich dark chocolaty flavor, but I missed the texture of the chocolate that I was used to.
Considering the price of this chocolate and the fudgey texture, I’m not crowning this one as the ultimate healthiest chocolate. I would however recommend it to anyone who is looking for a completely guilt-free sweet indulgence.
Fran
Fran Kerr is the founding editor of High on Health. To cure your acne, sign up to Fran's FREE acne cure mini-course or download her latest how to guide, Eat Away Your Acne.
26 responses ↓
All your posts on food make me hungry.But I don’t think you’ll ever find a perfect chocolate.Sorry to squash your dreams.I think you should just get your hands on a cocoa been and go from there.Try boiling the beans (they look slimy) or crushing them or just anything that you want to try.I think that’s what I’ll do next.
P.S Have you ever tried cadbury’s 60% cocoa?
Hi Kevin, I actually bought a big bag of raw cacao beans at a farmers market on the weekend! They’re supposed to be super healthy eaten raw ..but I think they’re too bitter for me. So I’m going to try different ways of cooking them, like crushing as you said and adding my own sweetener or something.
No, I haven’t tried Cadbury’s. My favorite store bought brand is Green & Black because it’s organic. But it still has added cane sugar.
Trader Joes has a chocolate called Carb Safe. I’m not sure if it’s organic, but it’s sweetened with Malitol, which has a low GI index, and it’s delicious.
Hi Daniel, yeah I’ve seen a lot of maltitol chocolate products around, it seems to be huge in Canada. But I have this intuitive feeling that it’s not that great for you …I don’t know why. You’re right, the GI is okay (as long as its not in a liquid form). Some people can experience intestinal discomfort with it ..so maybe my intuition is telling me I’d be one of these!
But I might look more into maltitol, because I want to get to the bottom of why I’m so afraid of it.
I am a chocoholic, too! However, I also have one of the most strict diets to go off of (health choice with additional allergies and conditions) and cannot have dairy. By the way, I saw what you wrote about maltitol. I hate that stuff, it’s not worth it to try.
I like President’s Choice ‘Extra Dark’ chocolate. I know its not natural or organic and contains regular sugar, but they have a really good 72% chocolate one that does not taste too bitter.
Lindt has an even better one, 85% cocoa that is very bitter. While it still has reguar sugar, I still think it is one of the purest and best priced chocolates out there. Oh and Cote D’or has an 86% one that is almost identical to the Lindt one.
I live in Montreal, so I will try my local health food store and see if they have any organic chocolate that fits your criteria!
Good luck!
Cam
Jules, I’m really interested to know why you hate Maltitol?
Cam, I love Lindt too, but still Green & Black is way better!
Hi, my local health food store has this cocoa camino chocolate brand. Apparently it’s organic but I dont know if its any good. Any thoughts?
I’m from Toronto, Canada btw
Ooh, hello fellow Torontonian Dennis!
First of all, cocoa camino is fair trade and certified organic which is awesome, so that’s definitely a good start.
It does contain cane sugar so it’s not that great for your skin. But if you buy the dark (they have a 65% and 67%), then there’s only a little sugar added so it’s not too bad. A perfect treat but if you’re worried about your skin don’t eat a ton of it
A company called Empowered Foods used to make delicious raw chocolate coconut cups, chocolate covered dried figs, superfood chocolate and greens bars…oh they were so good! And..they went out of business. Thankfully though, they sold their recipe to a company called Earth’s Chocolate. When they start selling products I highly, HIGHLY recommend these treats to anyone and everyone!
@kevin: Read the above response. No refined sugars, preservatives, etc in this brand’s chocolate.
uhhhh,,afta reading your blog about dark chocolate i have bought a dark chocolate which is made by LINDT EXCELLENCE 85% cocoa omg its 2 bitter for me its like a medicine for me instead of a chocolate buh as you told cocoa is good for our skin so i will give it a try just 4 sake to have good skin any idea of tasty chocolate whic i can eat and which would be good for my skin as well?
thanks
Hi Mishal, yes ..dark chocolate is an acquired taste. It took me a while but I now prefer it. I find milk chocolate has not enough flavor for me now!
Also be careful with the Lindt. Remember the key is to avoid sugar and chemicals, so you need to look for a chocolate product that has NO refined sugar and NO chemicals added. So if you find a milk chocolate that has no refined sugar in it, then great - go for it.
There are simply two reasons why food has been contorted to be such crap instead of retaining its health and beneficial nutrients. MONEY and CONVENIENCE.
That’s right. It is far far cheaper to use corn syrup than real sugar or other sweeteners. Its far easier to stretch one cacao bean into 1,000,000 hershey bars than to make real chocolate. Did you know that the Hershey company is actually petitioning the FDA to change the definition of chocolate so that it actually doesn’t have to contain ANY cacao at all?
Its so much more convenient for us to pop something into the microwave that could be years old than cooking something fresh and healthy. Its easier to order a pizza.
I think America is the worst about this. Its all about, bigger, better, faster and more convenient. We feed our cows corn because they get to market faster, but it kills them, so we have to pump them full of antibiotics which in turn get transferred to us and screw up our insides.
Its really really disgusting if you look at the state of “food” nowadays.
Ugh, thanks Elanor, your comments are so true. That’s really sad too how Hershys is trying to do that. I’ll never eat their chocolate in protest I think!
Hello fran,
I was in the states for a bit and no matter how much I searched for healthy organic chocolate the only one that I could find Lindt which isnt even organic at all.I bought some of their chocolate in the extra dark form which has 85% cocoa and that seems like a lot of cocoa.It has 5g of sugar.Whats your take on this Lindt?
Hi Kevin,
Did you manage to find Wholefoods during your travels? They have a heap of healthier chocolate options there. Really any health store is good. I never look for chocolate in regular grocery stores because they rarely stock healthier options.
Lindt is just okay. But if you can’t find anything naturally sweetened or organic, then something like an 85% Lindt is fine. Remember, the higher the cocoa content the better
I actually did manage to see a wholefoods store in the restaurant district but it was too late to check it out too far to visit the next day.But I’ll take your word and try not to buy any chocolate from the grocery if I can help it.There’s also another chocolate I tied that’s 72% cocoa from Ghiradelli but Lindt tastes much better.
Hi Fran. I tried the Green & Black’s 70% dark chocolate, and it was really good! My face got a little cleared after eating it! Also, is drinking milk bad for acne? I have this debate with my brother, and he says that drinking milk causes acne, so it’s better if you drink soy milk.
Teresa, green & black in small amounts is okay because it’s organic, but it still contains cane sugar so it’s not going to clear your skin, in fact it can make your skin worse if you eat too much of it.
Thanks Lindsay! But I wont be able to look for it until I find a Whole foods place in my country.Unless if by a small chance of luck they sell these in groceries.Do they?
Please if anyone finds a dark chocolate that does not contain any sugar, bad sugar alternatives, or chemicals, and something that is preferable organic - let me know! I also am on the quest
Hey, I recently found your blog/vids. I love them!
Im also a chocoholic, and did a bit of research. This webpage is chock-full of info on dark/milk/white chocolate, why some is good, some is bad. Its an amazing read; personally I read the whole thing in one go. Also, it reveals the very healthiest chocolate in the world, Xocai. Happy reading. =]
astrologyzine.com/healthy-chocolate.shtml
have you tried Rapunzel organic chocolate? it’s sweetened with whole, unrefined cane sugar. the label calls it rapadura, and i guess it’s rich in iron. how do you judge good chocolate?
Hi Fran,
I know you are a chocoholic and guess what: I found a REALLY good one here in Melbourne in a health food store!
It is called Loving Earth and all their bars are organic and hand made. It is quite expensive but soooooo delicious! I tried the Loving Earth lucuma and maca light, it is not as bitter as the really dark chocolate and I loved it. It contains Organic raw cacao butter, Organic raw cacao powder, Organic agave syrup (dark), Organic lúcuma powder, Organic maca powder, Himalayan crystal salt - that’s it! On their website http://www.raw-chocolate.net, I saw that you can order their products online or check out the retailers all over Australia (also in Brisbane…). Have you ever tried this chocolate before?
By the way, when do you think will you ship Bee Yummy again, I would love to try it!
Annick you’re so lucky to try this chocolate and thank you for your review! I saw this one online about a year ago and was going to get it posted to Brisbane but never got around to it before I went away. I’m definitely getting some sent to me when I get home
Yes, I will be shippin Bee Yummy soon!
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