The Benefits of Raw Chocolate
Calling all chocoholics! Today's post is for you...
I'd be lying to you guys if I said that I was a huge chocolate person. Chocolate has never been my weakness when it comes to indulgent foods. I've always preferred chips or candies if I'm being honest. However, all of that changed two Christmases ago when my brother gave James and I some 'raw chocolate' from NKD for Christmas.
I had never even heard of raw chocolate never mind tasted it and I will tell you, it was pretty much life changing. I think I was never a 'chocolate person' because I'd never tried the right kind of chocolate before. NKD which stands for Natural Kitchen Delights is an Edmonton company that specializes in guilt free raw treats. Sounds amazing, right?!
NKD products are made right here in Edmonton with REAL organic ingredients and the result is pretty much magic. Consider me a chocolate convert. So- what is raw chocolate you ask?
"Chocolate as we know it is made by taking raw cacao beans and roasting them to form cocoa, which is then combined with sugar and fats until the beans are unrecognisable. The high heat during the roasting process reduces the levels of antioxidants in the cacao, minimizing the powerful health benefits found in the unprocessed, raw cacao. Our chocolate never reaches temperatures higher than 118° F during production, so it never loses any nutritional properties." -NKD 'Why Raw Chocolate'
The first thing I noticed about the raw chocolate was the texture. It has a very distinct smooth texture. It's soft and almost melts in your mouth (aka, it's amazing). Because the chocolate is essentially raw, it does need to be refrigerated and does have an expiry date. I love the different flavours that NKD has to offer. The Original Nude and Hazelnut and Almond Butter are tied for my favourites with Blueberry and Lavender as a close runner up.
Because NKD uses only real, whole, natural organic ingredients, their products are dairy and gluten free and don't contain any artificial sweeteners, fillers or additives. What you're left with is pretty much the best chocolate you've ever tasted and, you can be assured that there aren't any chemicals or additives in their products that aren't good for you. Raw chocolate in this form is a treat that I don't feel guilty about at all (in fact, raw chocolate has a ton of benefits) and my 'post dinner square of chocolate time' has become my favorite part of my day! haha
What I also love about this company is that they are true to their values right to the core. Everything they do for their business is thought out and intentional. Their packaging is biodegradable and made from recycled paper and compostable plastic packaging and their logos are printed in vegetable based dyes. Talk about amazing.
Basically, I can't say enough good things about NKD. With Valentine's Day right around the corner chances are, you or someone close to you will be buying chocolates. I'd highly recommend giving raw chocolate a try and if you're in Edmonton or the surrounding area, why not support NKD?! Check out where you can find them HERE and for my fellow SPUD shoppers you can order your NKD online here or here as well and feel good about supporting local and the whole food movement and enjoy chocolate while doing so! ;)
