The Sheinbaum administration’s campaign to offer Mexican-made healthy food options to the public will soon make available a product that’s sure to make a lot of people happy — “Wellness Chocolate.”
This “Chocolate de Bienestar” is part of the government’s “Food for Well-Being” strategy, which aims to bring nutritious and affordable food options to consumers while supporting national producers, particularly those in the southern states of Tabasco and Chiapas — a region that has historically lagged behind other regions in several social and economic indicators.
Les comparto la cápsula que presentamos en la #MañaneraDelPueblo junto a nuestra presidenta @Claudiashein sobre nuestro #ChocolateBienestar 🍫 y el origen de su ingrediente principal: el cacao. Gracias al trabajo de las y los cacaoteros de Tabasco y el norte de Chiapas,… pic.twitter.com/Q90xRG5XPS
— María Luisa Albores González (@Mary_Luisa_AG) July 10, 2025
“Thanks to the efforts of cacao farmers in Tabasco and northern Chiapas, participants in the #SembrandoVida program, we’re now able to bring nutritious, affordable food with a deep social foundation to communities throughout Mexico,” head of Food for Well-Being María Luisa Albores wrote in her official X account.
Now one of those affordable foods will be chocolate, a favorite in Mexico since the time of the Aztecs, when it was so highly prized that its consumption is thought to have been reserved for the upper and priestly classes. Now it will be available to the general public in a presentation both more affordable and, allegedly, healthier than the commercial offerings.
Studies have shown that chocolate improves cardiovascular health via its antioxidants, provides energy, helps control blood pressure, improves cognitive capacity, satisfies hunger and lifts mood.
Albores adds that Wellness Chocolate is also a bone-supporting source of vitamins and minerals.
The down side is that the cacao bean from which chocolate is made is naturally bitter, prompting most commercial brands to include vast amounts of sugar. The Wellness Chocolate attempts to minimize that problem by striking a suppposedly healthier balance between natural cane sugar and the cacao itself. For example, the Wellness Chocolate in bar form uses 50% cacao and 35% sugar, which puts it in the “semi-dark” category with a relatively low fat content.
Still, the packaging dutifully includes warning labels for excess sugar, calories and saturated fats.
Albores revealed that the Wellness Chocolate will be available for purchase at the more than 25,000 Wellness Stores across the county, with its distribution occurring in stages.
“We will reach all of our stores,” she said. “We’re planning a three-month project to ensure that we can deliver these products directly from the countryside of Chiapas and Tabasco to consumers across the country.”
According to the government, the chocolate will be available in three presentations:
- Chocolate bar containing 50% cacao, and priced at 14 pesos (less than one dollar).
- Powdered chocolate with 30% cocoa, priced at 38 pesos (US $2)
- Chocolate de mesa or tablet chocolate, with 35% cacao, priced at 96 pesos (US $5)
Move over Hershey and Nestle! 🙂
Cool initiative. But not sure it makes sense for the government to be getting into the chocolate business versus working with the big companies to encourage them to work with Mexican cocoa farmers.
Is this another product trumped is hawking? Alone with bibles and some kind a bitcoin. Oncyahuckster always the con man
No.
Great Idea!
I’m a chocolate lover and have grown to prefer a dark chocolate (90%) with my morning coffee. Will there be an initiative in this effort to produce a dark chocolate? I agree with the benefits of chocolate and applaud the effort with this initiative.
While “natural cane sugar” might sound healthier, the reality is that nutritionally, it’s very similar to processed white sugar. Both are primarily sucrose and are broken down by the body into glucose and fructose, affecting blood sugar levels similarly.
“Natural cane sugar” or “raw sugar” undergoes slightly less processing than refined white sugar. This means it retains a minuscule amount of molasses, which gives it a slightly brownish color and may contain trace amounts of minerals like calcium, iron, and magnesium. However, these amounts are so small that they don’t offer significant nutritional benefits.
Both types of sugar are rapidly digested, leading to a quick spike in blood sugar and insulin levels. This can contribute to weight gain, increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other health issues when consumed in excess.
The key takeaway is moderation for all added sugars. Whether it’s “natural cane sugar,” white sugar, honey, or maple syrup, they are all forms of added sugar and should be limited in your diet. Focus on getting your sugar from whole food sources like fruits, which offer a wealth of nutrients along with their natural sweetness.
I love chocolate and supporting small farms and farmers. Can’t wait to buy some wellness chocolate for my family!
I believe the factory producing these products is owned by one of AMLOs sons. Interesting, no?
It makes complete sense now. The chocolate/confection industry is notoriously next to impossible to compete in. Unless of course you have the government behind your product. I worked for Mars for a decade and now with Mr Beast’s Feastables. Even with the success of Feastables, it takes millions of dollars and a ton if demand to get placed in just one national chain. The global giants pay millions in “rebate” money to retailers in order to maintain shelf placement and share of shelf. If there was no AMLO connection, the ONLY thing that would make sense is Travis’s suggestion; working with the International Companies that have the systems and infrastructure in place to make this a successful venture. With global cacao prices at all time highs, there should be a market for Mexico’s cacao. Although, I question the amount/quantity that Mexico can produce. Perhaps a government initiative to have the international brands use Mexican cacao in products for the Mexican market. No matter how much you want to BS the public, chocolate is healthy the same way opioids and cocaine are medicine. They fill a need, but cause more problems in the long run. With Mexico’s variety and abundance of produce, I would think there are better options for products the government could support and promote. Of course, if true, those products don’t benefit AMLO’s family. It may not be “corruption” per se, but it’s not a good look. No better than Trump and his cronies profiting off of his role in government. Sheinbaum ain’t as altruistic as she wants everyone to believe.