The Good Chocolate: Great-Tasting, Healthy Chocolate Bars With No
Sugar
I love chocolate! When I was younger, milk chocolate was my favorite. As the
health benefits of dark chocolate became more widely known, however, I
gradually retrained my taste buds to appreciate bars with a higher cacao or
cocoa content. Now, my preference for dark chocolate has been reinforced by my
keto diet lifestyle, since milk contains 2–8% lactose (a sugar naturally
present in dairy milk).
Several months ago, I discovered
The Good Chocolate, a brand of top quality, bean-to-bar chocolate made with 100% organic,
ethically sourced ingredients and no sugar.
It has since become one of my favorite brands of sugar free chocolate.
I'm pleased to be sharing my in-depth product review to introduce you to this terrific, principled company and its wonderful chocolate bars and mini-bars.
Can a Premium Quality, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Be Delicious and Also
Healthy?
The Good Chocolate is the brainchild of two lifelong friends and partners in a
branding and design agency, who in 2014 began to cut out all forms of sugar
(including honey and agave) from their diets and replace them with organic,
low- or no-calorie sweeteners with a low glycemic index. Six months later,
they were thrilled with the results. They had each lost 10 pounds, were
feeling great, had more energy, and were able to maintain their focus
throughout the work day, without the mid-day crashes that frequently result
from consuming sugar (in beverages, desserts, or snacks) in the late morning
or early afternoon. (I experienced the same benefits (with a much bigger
weight loss) a few months after I switched to a
ketogenic weight loss diet, which included eliminating sugar in any form.)
During this process, they learned about how most food companies are well aware
that adding sugar (or salt) to their products makes us eat, crave, and buy
more of them—a cycle that is very profitable for the manufacturers...and very
unhealthy, and expensive, for consumers.
The partners were inspired to help others break free from their sugar
addiction and experience the improved health, wellbeing, energy and
productivity they themselves were enjoying. So, they challenged themselves to
create a bean-to-bar chocolate that would live up to their own high standards.
Within a few months, they had come up with a "sweet-blend" of three organic, low-glycemic-index
sweeteners that met their exacting requirements for taste, health, and sustainability. They also immersed themselves in all things chocolate making, developing the required
expertise in every step from sourcing organic cacao beans in Central and
South America to perfectly tempering the roasted, winnowed, and ground
chocolate.
They describe the result as "an exquisite, 100% organic bean-to-bar chocolate
that’s as delicious as it is healthy."
Source
It also has up to 45% fewer calories than similar dark
chocolate!
What Is "Bean-to-Bar" Chocolate Making?
"Bean to Bar" production means that chocolate maker controls every step of the
process, from sourcing the cacao beans to roasting, winnowing, and grinding
them, and then tempering the chocolate before it is molded and packaged for
sale.
The bean-to-bar method gives artisan or craft chocolate makers better quality control and produces a healthier product (since craft chocolate makers, unlike many big
brands, do not try to accelerate the manufacturing process with chemicals or
other additives). Source
It also gives the producers more control over the supply chain, so
they can promote ethical and humane business practices. (More about this important topic later.)
The Good Chocolate controls the entire production process for its 100% organic chocolate bars at its factory in San Francisco.
Most Sugar Free Chocolate Isn’t Great “Eating Chocolate”
Since many chocolate bars with a higher cacao content, especially those with
no sugar, lack the intense, rich flavor and luscious mouthfeel of bars with a
lower cacao content, I have become extremely picky about sugar free chocolate.
In the past two years, I have tried many brands of low sugar and sugar free
chocolate. There are plenty of low carb chocolate options. Unfortunately, many
are sweetened primarily or exclusively with stevia or erythritol. Like many
people, I find that anything sweetened only with stevia has a pronounced
aftertaste that I dislike intensely, and that erythritol, when used as the
only sweetener in a food, creates a cooling, almost mint-like sensation on the
tongue.
Apart from BochaSweet sweetener (made from a pentose-type rare sugar extract
from the kabocha squash), blends of two or more keto-friendly sweeteners, such
as allulose, monk fruit, erythritol and stevia, taste more like sugar and
don’t have the unpleasant aftertaste or cooling effect that stevia or
erythritol can have when used alone.
Chocolate sweetened this way can be quite tasty. For example, I often sprinkle
ChocZero chocolate chips over sugar free desserts such as my
Low Carb Keto Chocolate Yogurt Granola Chip Pudding Recipe, and they're fine for baking keto chocolate chip cookies, for example.
ChocZero's dark chocolate keto bark is quite good, and their seasonal dark
chocolate peppermint truffles are pretty yummy, for sugar-free
chocolate.
On the other hand, their dark chocolate contains only 55% cacao. The
ingredients aren't organic. And the taste and mouthfeel are not in the same
ballpark as the very high quality, sugar-sweetened dark chocolate I loved and
enjoyed for many years, before I decided to cut sugar out of my life.
So, I have been on the lookout for a great "eating chocolate" (i.e., chocolate
meant to be enjoyed as is, rather than with a filling, as a garnish, or in
baked goods) with
a higher cacao content, a more intense flavor, and a superior
mouthfeel.
The Good Chocolate Bars Are Worth Savoring!
The Good Chocolate has the decadent taste and smooth, luscious mouthfeel of
the artisan dark chocolate I used to indulge in before I chose a very low carb
lifestyle. Like those, these bars are made from top quality cacao beans and
cacao butter, roasted, winnowed, ground, tempered, and molded with the same
care and expertise.
Unlike those, however, they don't contain sugar in any form. This means they
won't cause your blood sugar levels to spike. It also means they won't cause
you to crave more chocolate than is good for you. One of the biggest benefits
of cutting out sugar from my diet is that I can I still enjoy and indulge in
sweets without being at the mercy of my former cravings!
Having been a foodie for as long as I can remember, one of the keys to setting myself up for success on a keto diet was finding yummy healthier, keto-friending alternatives to my favorite
foods so that I wouldn't feel deprived or be tempted to stray from my new
eating plan. I was lucky that, unlike some people, I was able to conquer my
sugar addiction without having to give up desserts, beverages, candy, and
other foods that were sweetened with healthier alternatives to any form of
sugar.
That's why I was so delighted when I tasted The Good Chocolate bars.
They are luxurious enough to savor slowly and should please even gourmet
chocolate aficionados.
A Unique Blend of Organic Healthy Sweeteners
In addition to using the highest quality, organic raw ingredients and a
bean-to-bar process that gives the company full control over every aspect of
production, another key thing that sets this brand's sugar free dark chocolate
bars apart from most others is its organic "sweet-blend" of erythritol, stevia leaf extract, and mesquite powder.
Erythritol is a very popular zero-calorie sweetener that is naturally found in pears, mushrooms, and other plants and has a 0 glycemic index. It's easy for most people to digest (unlike many other keto-friendly sweeteners), and has the added benefit of preventing tooth decay.
Stevia leaf extract also has a 0 glycemic index. As I mentioned, combining stevia with the right blend of other keto-friendly sweeteners can mask its bitter aftertaste, which is what The Good Chocolate has done.
Mesquite powder is a traditional Native American product made from the ripened and ground seeds from the seed pods of the mesquite tree. Although traditionally used as an alternative to flour in sweet baked goods and breads, it has gained wider popularity as a "super food." In addition to adding a natural, subtle sweetness to foods, mesquite powder (sometimes called mesquite pod meal) also is high in fiber and protein, and has a very low glycemic index (25).
Even a Single Square Is a Deliciously Satisfying Indulgence
Each bar of The Good Chocolate is scored into six generously sized, squarish sections
(approximately 1½ inches by 1 11/16 inches). If I wanted to, I could eat an
entire bar in one sitting and still stay within my daily net carbs and
calories for maintaining my nearly 60-pound weight loss (currently 59 pounds). However, I almost never do, because this brand is so
rich and delicious, has such an intense chocolate flavor, and doesn't trigger my former addictive sugar cravings.
So, when I am in the mood for a piece, I break off one of the six sections, then fold over the elegant silver-lined gold foil wrapper and slide the rest of The Good Chocolate bar back into its heavy paper envelope-style pouch, with its distinctive cover art and graphic design.
I savor the section I broke off, nibbling off small pieces and letting each one rest on my tongue for a few seconds to warm a bit before I consume it. By the time I
have slowly worked my way to the last little bite, I'm usually satisfied.
Occasionally, however, I may decide to indulge in a second piece, if I want one. It always feels like a
guilty pleasure, even though there is nothing to feel guilty about!
Sophisticated Flavor Choices to Please Any Palate
Most of The Good Chocolate bars are 65% cacao dark chocolate. My favorites include Himalayan Salt, Mint, Ginger, and Salted Caramel, although they also made their plain 65% cacao Signature Dark Chocolate bars.
Currently, there is also a limited-edition Coconut & Turmeric Detox Bar, a 65% cacao dark chocolate bar with developed in collaboration with model and actress Charlotte McKinney and filled with delicious, nutrition-packed superfoods.
The brand also makes a 54% cacao "Dark Milk Chocolate. At the moment, there is also a limited-edition 58% Double Crunch Vegan Milk Bar (which they also refer to as "mylk" chocolate).
I believe that, other than the "Dark Milk Chocolate" bars, all the other bars are vegan.
Lower in Calories and Net Carbs Than Similar Dark Chocolate Bars
Here's a high-level nutrition data comparison between The Good Chocolate's 65% Signature Dark Chocolate and two other popular brands of dark chocolate, Lindt 64% Dark Chocolate, and Lily's 70% Dark Chocolate (nutrition data pulled from TGC's website).
|
The Good Chocolate
65% Cacao |
Lindt
64% Cacao |
Lily's
70% Cacao |
| Sugar (%) |
0 |
37 |
1 |
| Sugar (Teaspoons) |
0 |
6 |
0 |
Net Carbs
(Total Carbs
minus Fiber & Erythritol) |
2 |
26 |
6 |
| Calories |
227 |
397 |
289 |
Buying Ethically Sourced Chocolate Protects Impoverished Farmers, Children,
and Refugees
Against Dangerous Work, Slave Labor, and Human Trafficking
Nearly two-thirds of the world's cocoa beans are produced in West Africa's
Côte D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and Ghana. Indonesia has become another top cocoa
producer.
Tragically, cacao production has long been notorious for the worst forms of
forced labor, child labor, and hazardous child labor, sometimes a result of
human trafficking. Unfortunately, many cacao bean farmers are paid less than
$1 a day for this dangerous, backbreaking work, and can't afford to hire
additional laborers to help. Instead, of allowing their children to go to
school, they use them as unpaid, forced labor so their family can survive.
The customers for most of this production are large, global chocolate
corporations, including Mars, Nestlé, The Hershey Company, and Mondelez International (formerly Kraft foods), and others. Although most
have policies prohibiting forced labor practices in their supply chain, those
policies are hard to enforce because, for the most part, they don't purchase
directly from the cacao bean farmers.
Currently, seven of the world's biggest chocolate companies have been named in
a landmark class-action lawsuit in which they are accused of
"aiding and abetting the illegal enslavement of 'thousands' of children on cocoa farms in their supply chains" by eight children who claim to have been forced to work as slave labor
on Côte D'Ivoire cocoa plantations.
The Good Chocolate Is Ethically and Sustainably Sourced and Packaged
The best way to help break this terrible, systemic cycle of inhumane practices
is for consumers to buy their chocolate from smaller, bean-to-bar producers
who have more control over their supply chain than these huge corporations, so
they are better able to promote ethical, humane, and not only socially but
also environmentally responsible business practices.
One of the easiest way to find these smaller, craft chocolate makers who are
committed to ethical sourcing is to look for brands that are organic, fair trade, direct trade, and/or
Rainforest Alliance certified.
-
Whenever possible, The Good Chocolate purchases
Fair Trade or Rain Forest Alliance certified cacao beans.
-
The company uses
only 100% certified organic cacao beans and cacao butter in
its bars.
-
It is also committed to sustainable farming practices and is working with its cacao suppliers to reach 100% sustainability
as the company grows.
The company also worked with some forward-thinking companies develop cost-effective, renewable packaging solutions that can be recycled or composted.
The Good Chocolate takes its name and mission to heart, "to create delicious chocolate that is [not only] good for you, but also good for the planet." As the website states, "We may spend a little more time, effort and money on renewable packaging, but we hope that our effort, care and responsibility will inspire others and leave the planet a little better off along our way." Source
More Expensive, But Worth It
The Good Chocolate makes premium, small-batch, chocolate bars made with 100% certified organic cacao beans and cacao butter, as well as the blend of erythritol, stevia leaf extract, and mesquite powder, sweeteners that all cost significantly more than cane sugar.
The company also is committed to following ethical, humane business practices in an industry known for terrible physical, moral, and financial abuses of vulnerable populations, paying a fair price for the cacao beans and cacao butter it purchases, and practicing social and environmental responsibility to protect our future as well as our present.
As a result, these extremely high quality, no sugar dark chocolate bars cost more than some of the high-quality, 100% organic dark chocolate bars sold in Whole Foods Market and similar stores. When I first read about The Good Chocolate and looked into the company and its products, I thought charging $7.50 for a bar of dark chocolate was outrageous (unless the gold foil wrapper was made of real gold!). So, the only reason I decided to buy a 6-bar assortment was that, at the time, there was a promotion that offered a significant discount on your first order.
I never thought I would even consider ordering more at full price after I finished the six bars from that introductory offer. However, as soon as I taste this new-to-me brand, it immediately became apparent that this premium, sophisticated candy was head-and-shoulders above any other healthy, sugar-free chocolate I had tried. Also, because it was so rich, dark, and delicious, I found that just one section of a bar of The Good Chocolate was enough to satisfy me. That meant that I could indulge in a generously sized square from time to time for $1.25 per serving which, while still pricy, cost less than the 1/3 to 1/2 bar serving of one of the high quality, organic, fair trade chocolate bars I used to buy before I eliminated sugar from my diet.
Now Available on Amazon With Prime FREE Delivery!
The Good Chocolate just launched on Amazon. So, in addition to Amazone Prime Free Delivery, if you try The Good Chocolate and love it as much as I do, you can save up to 5% with Subscribe & Save (or 10% on your first Subscribe & Save subscription). You can also choose your auto-delivery frequency, as often as every two weeks to as seldom as every six months.
I highly recommend ordering The Good Chocolate Bar Variety Pack first, which includes six 2.5-ounce (70g) chocolate bars, including all five flavors of 65% Dark Chocolate (Signature Dark, Himalayan Salt, Mint, Ginger, Salted Almonds) and a 54% Dark Milk Chocolate. It's the perfect way to sample their core flavors and pick your favorites before placing another order.
The Good Chocolate 100% Organic No Sugar Dark Chocolate Review by Margaret Schindel
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