Kit by: Kathryn Rosenthal
Textile Designer & Foodie, NYC

Who doesn’t love chocolate?!

I’ve been a lifelong lover of the stuff (I may or may not have even written a collection of poems on the subject in middle school…), but recently I’ve become even more passionate about it for two reasons:

1. I’ve been watching how much sugar I eat, and dark chocolate is a great way for me to satisfy my sweet tooth without falling off the sugar wagon.

2. There are so many organic, fair trade companies that make chocolate products! This kit only presents a small collection but I hope it encourages you to explore more brands. There really are a lot of awesome chocolate goodies being made out there, many of which have the added bonus of a percentage of the profits going to various charities.

I hope you enjoy these products as much as I have — they really are guilt-free desserts in every sense!

Discover a few healthy chocolate snacks like vegan dark chocolate, cacao nibs and vegan, 80% dark chocolate snack bars.

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Sweet, Sweet Chocolate – Dark Chocolate Treats from Responsible Brands

Organic, All-Natural, Fair Trade Dark Chocolate (+ Vegan Finds)

Vegan, Organic Dark Chocolate Bar with Cocoa Nibs – Rainforest Alliance Certified Cocoa
By: NibMor

Available on Amazon

A Better Alternative

Nibmor uses Fair Trade ingredients, is USDA organic certified, and certified by the Rainforest Alliance. It’s also a very health conscious brand, avoiding milk, extra sugar, and other filler ingredients. Plus, the company was founded by two women, which earns extra brownie points in my book! This product offers on-the-go chocolate treats that you can slip into your purse or bag. It’s also 80% cacao, which is healthier, and tastes better in my opinion.

Raw, Vegan, Gluten-Free Organic Dark Chocolate Cookie Bites
By: Chocolate Snakaroons™

Available on Laughing Giraffe Organics

A Better Alternative

Snakaroons are an organic, healthy dessert/snack that come in a wide variety of fun flavors. Also, 1% of internet sales will go to “Gentle Barn,” an organization that aims to protect animals and support a plant based diet, so if you’re a passionate vegan or vegetarian you can do a little charity while you buy up these treats!

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Organic Dark Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream
By: Coconut Bliss

Available on Coconut Bliss

A Better Alternative

I absolutely love the taste of this organic, healthier ice cream alternative. It’s so rich and creamy that I would eat it even if I could have regular ice cream! In addition, the small, privately owned company seems to truly care about their ethics– you can read all about it on their informative site.

Raw, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Organic Cacao Nibs
By: Kopali

Available on Kopali

A Better Alternative

As a dark chocolate lover, you can really taste the quality of Kopali’s single-origin Peruvian dark chocolate, especially in the cacao nibs. The whole chocolate covered product line (they offer chocolate covered espresso beans, mulberries, cacao nibs, bananas, and goji berries) is organic, health conscious, vegan, and directly supports small farmers in Peru, so it really has the whole package!

80% Dark Chocolate Snack Bar – Raw, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Organic
By: Righteously Raw Chocolate

Available on Amazon

A Better Alternative

This is pretty much the ultimate raw, organic and vegan dark chocolate snack bar. I say ultimate because it’s crafted with zero refined sugars, is soy and dairy -free, and the company, Righteously Raw Chocolate, is a Green America Approved Business — which demonstrates that this company abides by both standards for sustainable methods of productions and socially responsible modes of sourcing. It’s also triple organic certified (i.e., certified organic by three separate organizations). These bars are also easy to carry around and snack on throughout the day.

View Our Research Standards.

Each of our six badges has its own unique set of metrics. These are some of the qualities (i.e., metrics) we try to look into when assessing a product and brand with respect to each of our badges:

Socially Responsible (purple triangle):
+ Does the company abide by Fair Trade Practices, or is it Fair Trade Certified;
+ Is there a commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR);
+ Is the company philanthropic – does it donate goods or services to environmental or humanitarian efforts;
+ Does the brand promote corporate transparency;
+ Are there any community engagement initiatives set in place;
+ Does the company communicate healthy and equitable working conditions along the supply chain;
+ Does the brand abide by fair and honorable employment values;
+ Is there a disclosure of sourcing methods, and are such materials or ingredients sourced responsibly;
+ Does the brand have a cause-driven mission towards human & environmental health & well-being.
*We do not conduct in-person audits. Oftentimes we will consult the language and standards set by third-party certifications and seals such as Fair Trade Certified, B Corp Certified, Rainforest Alliance Certified, Green America Certified, etc. We will, however, do independent research with respect to certain badges and utilize peer-reviewed articles. Also, please note that according to the Journal of Economics and the EPA, “social responsibility” does include practices and commitments that support environmental health and well-being; thus, the qualities of this badge may overlap with our other badges.

Eco-Conscious (red triangle):
+ Does the company practice sustainable modes of production;
+ Is the product composed of materials and/or ingredients that are biodegradable;
+ Are the materials and/or ingredients compostable;
+ Does the company have carbon reduction or mitigation strategies set in place;
+ Do the involved materials and/or ingredients have a relatively low environmentally impact;
+ Does the company utilize reduce or reuse principles in their facilities;
+ Does the company use renewable or efficient energy technologies in the production of their good(s);
+ Are there practices in place that work to maintain ecosystem biodiversity;
+ Is environmental stewardship a part of their business model.
*We aim to be transparent and objective when it comes to labeling a product as “Eco-Conscious”, and reject “greenwashing”. According to marketing and advertising standards set by The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Green Guides, it is most accurate to communicate not that a product is necessarily “good” for the environment, but that it is a “better environmental alternative”. This is the message we aim to communicate in labeling a product as “Eco-Conscious”.

Quality Materials/Ingredients (M/I) (green triangle):
+ Does the product contain organic or certified organic m/i;
+ Is there a significant degree of m/i ‘naturalness’;
+ Is the product non-GMO or Verified Non-GMO;
+ Are the m/i biodegradable;
+ Are the m/i compostable;
+ Do the m/i raise little to no concern in terms of m/i toxicity;
+ Is the product treated with harsh chemicals;
+ Is there a healthy ratio of synthetic or artificial m/i to natural m/i;
*For select “Pantry” products, we may look into health and nutritional value.
*For select products, we may consult reviews to assess m/i effectiveness.
*Generally, these are the ingredients that we try to steer clear of: Acesulfame-K (acesulfame potassium), Acetylated ester of mono- and diglycerides, Ammonium chloride, Antibiotics, Artificial colors (Synthetic and FD&C Certified), Artificial flavors, Aspartame, Astaxanthin, Azodicarbonamide, Bentonite, Benzoates, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), Bisulfites, Bromated flour, Brominated vegetable oil (BVO), Calcium bromate, Calcium disodium, EDTA, Calcium peroxide, Calcium propionate, Calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate, Calcium sorbate, Caprocaprylobehenin Carmine, DATEM (diacetyl tartaric and fatty acid esters of mono and diglycerides), Diglycerides (acceptable in supplements), Dimethylpolysiloxane, Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DSS), Disodium calcium EDTA, Disodium dihydrogen, Disodium guanylate (GMP), Disodium succinate, Dimethylamylamine (DMAA)… Read more at Free From 101.

To see the rest of our badges and read our full list of indicators, please visit our “About” page.

Hi! My name is Katy. As I’ve come into adulthood, and therefore am buying everything for myself, I’ve seen how being a consumer is both a huge responsibility and an opportunity to do good. What I like to keep in mind is that how I spend my money shows myself and the world where my priorities are. Every time you purchase a socially responsible product instead of generic, mass market junk, it has a ripple effect: you send a message to the industry about what consumers value, and you help to support companies who treat their employees and our world how it should be treated. Unfortunately, as things are today, in order to shop responsibly you have to be a bit of a scavenger — which is why I look forward to continuing to learn and share with you all here on this great site!

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