An addict…Really?

I kid you not, this really happened to me a couple weeks ago. I go into Whole Foods in El Segundo for a late night shopping trip for my favorite “Amazing Grass Green Superfood“. I get to the checkout, and if anyone knows Whole Foods, there’s a wall of chocolate bars that just beckon you to indulge.

So, I ever so slightly move in the direction of the Wall O’ Chocolate, choose a couple of interesting darks, and move towards the line again – only to find that an older gentleman had taken my place.  One look and I realized he was going to put up a fight. I said, “No that’s ok, you can have my place. It’s just that when I see chocolate, I get all excited.” He pulled down his glasses to the brim of his nose and stared down at me. “Sounds like you’re an addict…do you have it every day?” I said “No.” The Professor went on to try and educate me on how he just came back from a chocolate symposium and that the “compounds in chocolate mimic opiates…” I’m like, “Well, I’m not sure about the drug correlation here, but I do know that chocolate is a great anti-oxidant, so that’s why I choose at least 70% cocoa or higher.”  Luckily, the checker lady asked him to move further down to her register, at which time the guy ahead of him raised up his dark chocolate bar in solidarity with me. As I was walking by the Professor to leave the store, he pointed at me, “The Addict” and said loudly “She says she’s not an addict!” Wow.

Addict or not, dark chocolate is one of those affordable luxuries that I’m stoked to know is actually healthy for me. And, in honor of becoming more Eco-Friendly, I’ve been educating myself on the terms “Organic” and “Fair Trade” chocolate, and why we should pay the extra dough for it. Here’s what I found…

Organic & Fair Trade ensures:

  • Farmers are paid a decent wage for their work.
  • Children have not been forced into abusive labor practices.
  • Farmers use sustainable agricultural practices that minimize pesticide use and promote soil and water conservation.
  • Manufacturers generally reduce use of toxic chemicals and reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible.
  • Producers democratically participate in their own enterprises.

If you’re like me and want to make a difference in the little things, it makes sense to choose organic and fair trade whenever you can given the benefits for the farmers, workers, and the environment.

Here are my personal favorites, but I’d love to hear yours! Host an Earth Day chocolate tasting and let me know!

 *The Endangered Species company is environmentally conscious too, and dedicates 10% of their net profit to support species and habitat preservation.

**Equal Exchange works with small farmer’s cooperatives who cultivate this cocoa using environmentally sustainable methods. By choosing Equal Exchange fairly traded products, you help provide small farmers the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future for their families and communities.

So, all you fellow choco-addicts…get out there and save the world, one bar at a time. Bon appétit! -bb

Rated: from 125 votes

Report This