Green & Black's Organic Maya Gold Chocolate Bar

If you're going to indulge your children in this season of love and chocolate (or in any other season), do it wisely. Go for quality instead of quantity, and look for the Fair Trade label on organic brands like Green & Black's.

Fair Trade is an organization that gives a stamp of approval to companies that practice fair and sustainable practices. This means that the farmers were paid a fair price, the farming was environmentally sound, and forced child labor was not involved.

A bar like the Maya Gold lets you have your chocolate and eat it, too, because it is made from 55 percent dark chocolate, making it practically a health food. That's right - we've woken up in the future and found out that chocolate is good for you! There are many claims - that chocolate contains antioxidants, for example, and that it increases the synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which acts as an antidepressant. There was even a study that showed that dark chocolate is a more powerful cough suppressant than codeine, and with no side effects. That's good news for any chocolate-lover.

There's just one catch: Many studies have shown that the antioxidants are destroyed by dairy products. So, forget the milk chocolate or the hot cocoa if you're looking to bolster your health. Instead, cultivate a taste in your family for dark chocolate. Luckily, this isn't difficult.

- Larissa Phillips

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Larissa Phillips is an award-winning writer, cooking instructor and contributing food editor for Dominion Parenting Media. Email her at FeedingYourFamily@Parenthood.com.