Are chocolates healthy?! Well, organic raw chocolates are full of goodness. From benefits to taste to types, we have listed everything about organic chocolate here!
So, let’s check out about organic chocolate…
What is Organic Chocolate?
Chocolates that use organically grown cocoa and are certified as organic by the National Organic program are called organic chocolates. They have a wide variety like milk, white, dark chocolates, truffles and more!
Benefits of Organic Chocolate
There are numerous benefits of chocolates, whether organic or not. But remember the amount of sugar added makes all the difference in how beneficial it is. However, cocoa alone helps to fight diabetes, protects skin, boosts heart health and lifts your mood! But what makes organic chocolates so special? After researching about organic chocolates and by taking a few inputs from DietHealthClub, I have listed the benefits of organic chocolate. Let’s check out!
Organic chocolates advantages
1. The temperature of the raw chocolate is kept at 40°C. The process of supplying minimal heat to the food helps to retain the minerals and natural antioxidants.
2. Organic chocolates don’t use canned sugar but use natural sweeteners like nectar or organic sugars. However, organic chocolates are bitter compared to the conventional ones, which means the sugar content is really less. Also, other ingredients in them like almond milk and butter are organic! So they can be called raw vegan chocolates.
3. Since the sugar content is less, you have to worry less about cavities.
4. Dark chocolates are related to weight loss, hence the darker the chocolate, the more the health benefits. Also, you can experience the pure taste of chocolate with dark chocolate.
5. They contain flavanols, a subgroup of flavonoids that are present in citrus foods, which has cancer-fighting antioxidants.
6. They also help to control sweet cravings. Also, fun fact, a chocolate diet allows you to consume one square of chocolate per day. Perhaps, I should try it ASAP! So so guilt free!!
7. They also help to control appetite and support weight loss.
8. They are also helpful in staying energetic and increase alertness and refresh the mood. Hey! That’s what coffee does. Well! I’m gonna have ’em both on a Monday morning. Duh!
We have answered a few FAQs about organic chocolate. Read on to know more:
Does Organic Chocolate Taste Better?
Pure organic chocolate tastes bitter. If it’s sweet, then organic sugar is used in the preparation. But the usage is really less compared to their non-organic counterparts. So, organic chocolates are not for those who have a sweet tooth. But a milder and sweeter version is something you can try. Of course, we assure you that once you get used to the natural bitterness and mild flavors of organic chocolates, you’ll find them tastier than regular chocolates. It’s an acquired taste!
Is it Healthier than Regular Chocolate?
When compared organic chocolates with conventional chocolates, we found out that the regular chocolates contain corn sugar that are also present in processed drinks and foods. This might lead to weight gain and the sugar leads to cavities. They also contain artificial coloring and wax. With so many benefits mentioned before, organic chocolates surely are healthier than regular chocolates. Plus, as mentioned before, dark organic chocolates retain cocoa’s natural goodness, so they have added health benefits like better heart health and improved cholesterol profile, keeping blood pressure in check, anti-oxidant-rich and even potential cancer prevention.
Is Organic Chocolate the Same as Fair Trade Chocolate?
What is fair trade chocolate? We get this asked a lot by our readers. Organic fair trade chocolate is the chocolate whose farmers and the laborers are paid a fair price for the ingredients grown. If they are paid fair wages, producers can avoid cost-cutting practices like cheap labor, poor quality and methods employed that are destructive to environment.
Organic chocolates contribute only 0.1% in cocoa market and that’s too less. This is because organic chocolates are prepared using natural organic products that’s time-consuming and require much more resources compared to regular ones. And a normal farmer may not be able to produce a certified organic chocolate and supply to fair trade chocolate brands. So, organic chocolates usually cannot be categorized under fair trade chocolates.
How to Find Out if a Chocolate is Organic?
Look at the chocolate ingredients to know whether a chocolate is organic or not. Ideally organic chocolate should contain 80% of cocoa, which constitutes for the bitter taste. Also, the organic products used should be anywhere between 80% to 98%. There should also be a USDA certified symbol in the packaging. If any preservatives are mentioned then they are not organic. It should be minimally processed. So, choosing a good brand or a handmade chocolate is better. And taste it before buying, and you can never go wrong with the taste.
Best Organic Chocolate Brands
There are numerous dark chocolate brands to pick from. Choose a brand that’s famous and trust-worthy. Many popular brands like Lindt, Godiva and Hershey’s are producing dark organic chocolates. So, these are a few go-to brands that you can check out. Also, I have mentioned a few organic chocolates that you can try:
- Dagoba organic chocolate
- Alter Eco chocolates
- Taza Chocolates
- Endangered Species chocolates
- Divine chocolates
- Theo chocolates
- Green & Black’s chocolates
- Sweet Earth chocolate bar
- Mulu Dark chocolate
- Scharffen Berger chocolates
So, that was all about organic chocolate. Have you tried ’em? Tweet us @shilpa1ahuja with your thoughts!
Also, read:
– The Best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe in the World!!
– Chocolate Dessert Ideas: 12 Quick and Easy Mouth-Watering Desserts
– Small Cakes: 5 Ultimate Recipes of Little Cakes You Have to Try
– The Chocolate Festival Guide: List of World’s Best Chocolate Fests
–Top 10 Coffee Festival & Shows Around the World: Celebrate the Caffeine!
– All About Gourmet Chocolate: Types, Flavors, Brands of Artisan Chocolates
Sahana is a Senior Staff Writer at ShilpaAhuja.com. With an experience in fashion and lifestyle writing, Sahana is responsible for Indian and international fashion week coverage every year, and is developing an expertise in apparel trend forecasting. She also writes about health and fitness, having pursued yoga for 6 years now. She’s not a gym person at all but is all for “running in the park” and is an amateur cyclist. Books and coffee are her other passions. She’s also an amateur photographer. She’s a hardcore Bollywood fan and she loves to cover the nostalgic topics on the same. From fashion trends to famous characters, she can make anyone love Bollywood! Her best article has been 90s Bollywood fashion, a readers’ favorite so far! Prior to her experience with ShilpaAhuja.com, Sahana has written as a freelance author for online magazine, Mashup Corner, and interned at EventsHigh as a content writer. Her blogs on basic fashion, makeup, fitness and city’s food joints that gave her a chance to experiment with her writing. She also has voiced her opinions about feminism and equal rights for men and women at PolkaCafe journals and after quitting her job, she decided to take up writing as her full time career.
Sahana is an engineering graduate and has worked in an MNC, Tesco, for more than a year as an Operations Support. It was her sheer love for fashion that made her quit the monotonous 9 to 5 job to pursue a career in the fashion industry. She’s originally from Bangalore and is currently settled in Chennai (she’s loving the city)! For any queries and discussions, contact her at [email protected]. You can also tweet her at https://twitter.com/Sahana_17