Saying No to Palm Oil is Like Giving a Valentine to the Rainforest

The Peet Bros. Guide to Palm-Free Chocolates for Valentine’s Day

Those heart-shaped boxes you buy for Valentine’s Day have guides on the inside cover so you know whether you’re biting into the coconut creme or cappuccino nougat. What they do not always clearly label is their use of palm oil. While you are shopping for romantic gifts this year, do not forget to show some love for our planet’s rainforests. Choose chocolates that are palm-free. Need help? Consult our handy guide.  

Brands that do not use palm oil include:

• Beyond Good
• Tony’s Chocolonely
• Divine Chocolate
• Mia Chocolate

Many brands do not use palm oil in their solid chocolate bars, but the fillings in truffles and bonbons can contain palm oil. Bummer, right? What’s Valentine’s Day without chocolates that ooze sweet mystery goo? Fortunately, there is an easy -- and fun -- way around this problem. Chocolates filled with vodka, cognac, single malt scotch and other liqueurs offer a decadent way to toast your romance with no palm oil whatsoever. The Vermont Country Store offers a wide variety of what they call “spirited chocolates.” Plus, ingredients for their chocolates are easily accessible on their website, so you can be sure what you are ordering before you click “Add to cart.”

If you are open to paying a little more to import chocolate from the UK, Friar’s offers fun gifts that will show how well you know your Valentine, such as chocolate “gardening” sets, horseshoes and golf tees, not to mention a wide selection of surprise-filled truffles.

Lastly, if you are a DIY-er, you can make your own chocolate-dipped strawberries and cookies using palm-free chocolate. Cooks Illustrated says that you get the best results with chocolate that does not contain palm oil. (They recommend combining dark and white chocolate; with white chocolate, make sure your only get the palm oil free kind). What is more romantic than making a gift yourself?

 By following these guidelines, you are sure to score points with your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, and our animal friends in the rain forest will love you too.