Top three local chocolate picks for Valentine’s

Valentine month is the perfect time to LOVE by choosing the most consciously created chocolates in town.

These three emerging choc-preneurs are making a name for themselves in real food Vancouver.

All of their raw vegan treats are made with the highest quality organic and fair trade ingredients. They’re also sugar free or sweetened with coconut nectar, so no crazy rushes and crashes of processed sugar.

When you get to know who they are and sample their art, the fanciest conventional chocolate might lose its appeal forever!

GLOW consciousness with Julie Beyer

Ever since my friend Julie nurtured herself back  from a major health crisis at 23 years old, she’s been driven to show people the way to our GLOW inside and out.

She’s 29 years old now, about to graduate as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and her GLOW snacks are increasingly in demand.

My favourites in her product line are the fast-seller GLOWBalls, sprouted chocolate orange Bisecotti GLOW, and sprouted mint chocolate chip GLOWnola.

On Valentine’s Day, enjoy a FREE GLOW Spot chocolate (Chile Cinnamon or Mint Spirulina) when you spend $15 or more at Eternal Abundance, an all organic grocer and vegan cafe.

Check out GLOW retailers here.

Zimt goes to town with Nib’ds

She wanted chocolate: raw, vegan, organic ethical chocolate but there was none in Vancouver at the time, so in 2010 Emma launched Zimt Artisan Chocolates, now a trusted national brand.

Of the eight different bars widely available at local retailers, Chocolate Nib’d is her favourite. For coffee lovers, she has Kaffee Chocolate and fruity types might like Sweet Orange Nib’d.

I seriously recommend Zimt’s hot double chocolate smackaroons, available at Karmavore together with other treats.

For an awesome deal, consider Zimt’s special valentine class where you get to make chocolate AND take home a chocolate ganache cake.

Zimt chocolate bar image credit: Ethical Deal

Out of the box with Wise One Superfood Chocolates

Hard core chocaholics, this brand is for you!

Wise Ones are really something different with intense flavours and exotic superfoods and superherbs like rhodiola and he shou wou.

I usually prefer to stay away from such strange sounding foods or chocolates with dragon carvings but they kept appearing all over the place so I  went to work with my sleuthing cap.

Derek Rohde, a raw nutritionist has carefully selected and combined eleven superfood ingredients in his five raw chocolates to fire up our health and vitality in a big way.

It works! A small taste of my orange goji flavoured Amazonia (no dragons on this one) kept me going for days and its one of his milder chocolates.

Learn more in Derek’s classes on raw chocolate alchemy if you like. Catch him on facebook for more info.