Our Top Five Chocolate Obsessions
The Balanced Bites Team loves – no, scratch that – is obsessed with quality dark chocolate. It’s our favorite don’t-call-it-a-cheat, delicious, antioxidant-rich treat. Dark chocolate has some fascinating traits – and I’m not talking about the little rush you experience when it melts on your tongue. I’m talking about its power to improve your health! Mark’s Daily Apple did a top-notch job explaining to all of us Why You Should Eat and Drink High-Cacao Dark Chocolate - regularly, in fact.
Here’s a list of our top-five favorite chocolate bars – enjoy!
P.S. Half-way through writing this post I stopped to enjoy a chocolate bar. Yum!
#1: Alter Eco Dark Blackout 85% Chocolate Bar
Organic • GMO-Free • Sustainable • Fair trade
Number one on our list is Alter Eco Dark Blackout 85% Chocolate bar. This chocolate bar is known for its smoothness and deep, rich flavor. Alter Eco prides itself on the quality of its ingredients and their environmental non-impact; making this chocolate bar not only deeply satisfying but a great choice for the conscious eater.
#2: Endangered Species Organic Dark 70% Chocolate Bar 
Organic • GMO-Free • Sustainable • Fair trade
Coming in a very close second is Endangered Species Organic Dark 70% Chocolate bar. This bar has great “mass appeal” due to its lighter flavor, sweeter taste and commitment to charitable donations: 10 % of Endangered Species profits go to charity. Normally, we’d encourage you to opt for 80% dark chocolate or greater – but this one’s flavor and commitment to charity won us over.
#3: Organic Panama Extra Dark 80% Chocolate Bar
Organic • Sustainable • Fair trade
Third place goes to Organic Panama Extra Dark 80% Chocolate bar. The perfect balance of bitter and sweet may be attributed to the organic Vanilla Beans used in this bar. Equal Exchange is a big supporter of small farmer co-ops and has visions of a food system that empowers the consumer.
#4: Madecasse Strong and Complex 80% Chocolate Bar
Sustainable • Fair trade
Even though Madecasse Strong and Complex 80% Chocolate bar comes in fourth on the list, don’t count it out! This chocolate bar should come with a warning – “Be advised: you will not be able to eat just one square.” Madecasse is one of the few fine chocolates made from scratch, from bean to bar; and it all takes place within Madagascar. Uniquely, the company was started by Peace Corps volunteers who wanted to do more to help their cause. Very cool!
#5: TAZA 87% Chocolate Bar 
Organic • Sustainable
Rounding out our chocolate obsessions is the Taza 87% Chocolate bar. Taza uses wooden boxes and banana leaves for the fermentation process of the cacao beans. This fermentation is what gives Taza chocolate a bright, bold flavor. The stone-ground chocolate gives this bar its great texture.
Cocoa and chocolate have been studied extensively for their impact on human health and disease; and the results have shown desirable effects in the reduction of blood pressure, antioxidant capacity, inflammation reduction, and even a boost in mood. Chocolate is, in fact, an ancestral food once held in high regard for its healing properties! As part of a nutrient-dense, ancestral-style diet, chocolate definitely has earned its place!
About the author
Charissa Talbot is the Communication Coordinator for Balanced Bites and Lead Moderator for The 21 Day Sugar Detox. She has been a Fitness Professional for over five years and is currently a student studying Holistic Health Care at the South West Institute of the Healing arts while under the mentorship of Diane Sanfilippo.
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