For MOMS & MOMS-TO-BE and TODDLERS 5 YEARS+
Chocolate is one of those foods that just seems “to do it”. It helps us feel better when we are down, it curbs those sweet cravings that tend to hit mid-afternoon, and it even helps to give us a boost of energy when we feel like we need it most.
Whether eaten by itself, or as a component of another dish, there is no denying that chocolate is a go-to ingredient for most of us women. And best of all, many health gurus actually have added it to the “Superfoods” category as of late, thanks to all of its antioxidants.
However, not all chocolate is created equal and unfortunately, a good majority of it has so many additional fillers and artificial ingredients that it cancels out all of the good-for-you properties that you thought you were getting in the first place.
That’s definitely not the case with Chocolove though! Made from pure and simple ingredients that are of the utmost quality, even the packaging makes Chocolove stand out as a chocolate bar made with love.
THE PRODUCT: Chocolove began after the founder, Timothy Moley, found himself chewing on some cocoa beans in Indonesia while doing volunteer work for USAID, a government program that promotes agricultural and technical education in developing countries. He had been living abroad on and off for two years, visiting over 28 countries, developing his palate with spices, teas and wines. Dreaming of becoming his own boss and doing something that he loved, his idea to create a premium chocolate bar, paired with the romance of love began to form.
Fast-forward almost 20 years later, and Timothy’s idea of creating a selection of distinctly flavored chocolate bars made with all-natural ingredients, all while using the classic techniques of Europe’s finest chocolatiers, has blossomed into a collection of 24 delicious and yet affordable premium chocolates. Packaged to resemble a love letter sent from a distant land, with a classic romantic poem inside each wrapper, Chocolove is just as impressive on the inside as it is on the out.
Ranging from a sweet, creamy Milk Chocolate with a 33% cocoa content, up to an Extra Strong Dark with an impressively strong yet smooth 77% cocoa content, there truly is something for everybody available within a Chocolove wrapper. The company also carries Chocolate Chips, available in their delicious 52% cocoa, if that’s more your thing.
Chocolove even produces 3 bars that are both Fair Trade Certified and Organic. They also support the World Cocoa Foundation, which in turn supports all cocoa farmers and endeavors to bring a better quality of life to all cocoa farmers worldwide.
NUTRITION-WISE: Not only does Chocolove use the finest ingredients in their bars, they also use special techniques in order to keep them tasting their best. With their chocolate made in Belgium, Chocolove only uses fully ripened cocoa beans, which allow for proper chocolate flavor development upon roasting. Furthermore, their chocolate is ground finer and conched longer than most chocolates, providing a smooth texture and flavor. It also has a higher cocoa content than the majority of other bars, which translates to less sugar. Plus, the fruit flavors they use comes from freeze dried or infused fruits as opposed to fruit “flavoring”.
Since Chocolove’s chocolate is made in Belgium, and European law prohibits the growing of “GMO” foods, you can be sure that the sugar used in their products is all GMO-free. Moreover, while some of the bars do contain soy lecithin, the soy beans used are also guaranteed free of GMOs. So, although the products are not officially certified non-GMO, the ingredients used are considered such and Chocolove is in dialog with, and will hire an organization to certify their products that can be certified at this time.
In regards to being vegan, Chocolove has both dark and milk chocolate bars available, although they do use separate equipment for melting and molding their chocolates. Furthermore, most of their dark chocolates arrive at their facility Kosher Parve (which means it is completely free of milk products), while the remainder arrives Kosher Dairy (meaning the dark chocolate was made on equipment that also makes milk chocolate). However, if you are extremely concerned about it being vegan, their organic dark chocolate is the least likely to contain any traces of milk chocolate.
And finally, for those with gluten sensitivities, most of their bars don’t contain gluten, although they do not guarantee Chocolove to be gluten free. They do make some bars that have grain as an ingredient, including their Pretzel in Milk Chocolate Bar.
Coming in at around 160-170 calories, 90-120 of which comes from fat, there is also 1-3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, and 11-15 grams of sugar, depending on the flavor. While this may seem like quite a bit of sugar, it’s actually less than the majority of premium chocolate bars – or even many “nutritional bars” for that matter. Plus, this amount is dependent on you eating 1/3 of the bar. If you eat less, you’ll be getting less sugar per serving; and, the bar will last longer :).
*Chocolove is the perfect Mom and Mom-to-be treat. However, there is quite a bit of sugar, so I wouldn’t advise giving it to a young child. Personally, I don’t like giving my toddler any type of food with sugar in it (besides sugars that comes from fruit, and then those from honey or agave on less frequent occasions). However, a little piece here or there isn’t [obviously] going to hurt anyone, I just rather not give it to my little until he can truly appreciate it and/or will know the difference.
WHERE TO BUY: Chocolove Bars and Chips are conveniently available Online, or you can visit their Store Locator** to find the retail location nearest you.
**As a side-note, the Store Locator portion of their website is currently being updated and therefore, quite a few stores have not yet been added. Chocolove is available at all Whole Foods, as well as Central Market, Market Street, Kroger, Sprouts, Natural Grocers, and Vitamins Plus stores in the Dallas area.
FINAL THOUGHTS: It seems that there are more and more “healthy” chocolate bars on the market these days. Just walk through the “chocolate” aisle at Whole Foods and you’ll see what I mean. However, this doesn’t mean that everything you find there will be good for you, nor does is mean that it will taste good.
So, how do you decide which on to choose? Well if you are just going off packaging, then you’ll most certainly be impressed with the line of bars from Chocolove which are wrapped like a “love letter” with a poem on the inside.
But, I’ve got to say that these bars are even more impressive on the inside then out! Rich, smooth and decadent, yet not too sweet, once you try one of Chocolove’s 24 flavors of chocolates you will surely want to go back for more! Now add to that the fact that they contain a lot less sugar then I normally would have figured such a tantalizing treat would, not to mention that they also contain fiber and protein and are GMO-free, and you will find it hard not to fall in love with Chocolove.
Try any or all of Chocolove Bars today and see for yourself how delicious a chocolate bar wrapped in ‘love’ can be!
To learn more about Chocolove, please visit their website and check them out on Facebook.
And remember, Contact Healthy.Fit.Fab…Moms today to create a personalized plan so you and your family can live a healthy, fit, and fabulous life!
