Is Chocolate Paleo?

For some people, the hardest part of switching to a paleo lifestyle is giving up their "habit foods". These are foods that without noticing, they would munch for many reasons. Most often it is for boredom, but some people have been known to eat particular foods when they are in certain moods.

When I am browsing paleo forums and chats, there is one snack in particular that seems to come up most often; chocolate. Oh savory chocolate, you are so tempting (not to me personally but for some, yes). However, is chocolate paleo?

As I have said before in this blog, I believe in doing something all the way rather than making exceptions as your exceptions will become more and more stretched with time. If evolution has had it's time to prepare our digestive tract for something, it is best to avoid eating it. However, chocolate consumption goes way back in history with some early signs in 500 AD. Back then the Mayas thought of chocolate as a symbol of fertility and of life.

Well, my personal opinion on the matter is that chocolate in and of itself is not paleo. A caveman would have steered clear from it, the cacao pod would have been extremely bitter in taste and no signs point to a healthy amount of digestion in animals, let alone humans. Not to mention, chocolate is produced with a great deal of fermentation, which I highly doubt is a method a cavemen would put to use.

While I will not eat chocolate I know many on the paleo lifestyle do, for lack of knowledge or just as an exception. My suggestion if you have to indulge in chocolate is to limit it to atle 90% dark chocolate and preferably organic.