At Easter, it is all about the Chocolate Bunny

This Easter, what sort of chocolate bunnies are you buying for your family?  The grocery store often has a large selection, but one glance at the ingredients list may cause you to never look at those sweet floppy-eared treats again. If those ingredients concern you, this might be a good year to take a look at your options and find a chocolate 'bunny' that is not only healthier, but also environmentally and socially responsible.

I live in a rural area and do not have access to a wide variety of chocolate unless I shop online or travel out of my way.  But despite my limited access, I still came across two new options this Easter: organic chocolate 'bunnies'.

The first was a wonderful Camino Organic and Fair Trade Milk Chocolate Bunny, newly launched by La-Siembra Co-Operative this year. Camino was kind enough to send me a sample, and my family and I enjoyed every bite of it!  The milk chocolate was rich and tasty (not super-sweet like those Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars) and my kids really enjoyed it. 

The best part about organic chocolate? Kids never need to know that they are eating something that is healthier for them than the regular sugary chocolate - and they certainly cannot tell the difference!

The second Easter 'bunny' that I found turned out not to be a bunny at all!  I was perusing the gourmet Easter selection at Chapters in Sudbury and came across the Lake Champlain Chocolates ORGANIC milk chocolates. With a bunny on the front of the package, I thought the chocolate might be shaped like a rabbit, but they turned out to be chocolate bars! I didn't mind that at all, since the packaging made it feel Eastery and the chocolate was superbly delicious.  I purchased the Milk Chocolate with Sea Salt & Almonds bar (for myself) and an Organic Milk Chocolate bar for my husband for Easter.

I normally do not like chocolate bars with almonds in them, but Lake Champlain's bar was delicious.  The salt brought out the flavour of the almonds and the milk chocolate was rich (less sweet than that grocery store stuff!). I gobbled it up in just two days. If you like nuts and salted milk chocolate, this bar is definitely for you!

So if you are not satisfied with the usual Easter chocolate bunny that you have been purchasing for years, take a simple look around in other stores (or other sections of the grocery store) and you might just find something delicious, healthier and environmentally friendly...something that makes you feel good!

Camino's Fair Trade and Organic Milk Chocolate Bunny is available at retailers across Canada and Loblaws stores with natural value sections.

Lake Champlain Chocolates is from Burlington, Vermont and is available online and in stores in Canada and the U.S.

And if you live in a rural area like me and have not yet found the eggs to fill your Easter basket, check out these selections at your local grocery store.

Have a great Easter weekend everyone!