On Valentine's Day, don't forget to extend your love to Mother Earth. This week's tips should help you do just that, even as you celebrate the biggest Hallmark holiday there is.
Tip #3: Choose Conscientious Cocoa
What's Valentine's Day without chocolate? When choosing sweets for your sweetheart, look for brands that are organic, local , and shade-grown. Why organic? Of all crops, cocoa takes second plase for using the most pesticides (number one is cotton); when producers stop using planet-harming chemicals, chocolate tastes better. As for shade-grown, that label means the cocoa under it was grown under indigenous trees, which therefore got preserved. Also, try to resist the convenience of that frilly heart-shaped box with all those paper wrappings tucked into plastic. Instead, go for a less packaged option. In general, names to avoid include M&M/Mars, Hershey, and Russell Stover in favor of Green & Black's , Newman's Own Organics , and Endangered Species .
Tip #3: Choose Conscientious Cocoa
What's Valentine's Day without chocolate? When choosing sweets for your sweetheart, look for brands that are organic, local , and shade-grown. Why organic? Of all crops, cocoa takes second plase for using the most pesticides (number one is cotton); when producers stop using planet-harming chemicals, chocolate tastes better. As for shade-grown, that label means the cocoa under it was grown under indigenous trees, which therefore got preserved. Also, try to resist the convenience of that frilly heart-shaped box with all those paper wrappings tucked into plastic. Instead, go for a less packaged option. In general, names to avoid include M&M/Mars, Hershey, and Russell Stover in favor of Green & Black's , Newman's Own Organics , and Endangered Species .
Tell us: What's your favorite chocolate brand?