6 Best Candy Swaps
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<p class="slide-count desktop-hidden">1 of 7</p><img width="1109" height="614" src="/uploadfile/2024/1210/20241210153305761.jpg"><p class="photo-credit">RD Whitcher / Getty</p>When The Cravings Hit…
Simply put: Candy is bad for you. But there will be days when the Snickers bar is calling your name, and it seems a lot more appetizing than your rice puffs. A candy bar or rice puffs? The candy bar wins, but your physique soon won’t. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel—healthy candy that’s OK to indulge on. Click your way through these healthy alternatives to your favorite sweet-tooth goodies.
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Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
All someone has to say is chocolate and peanut butter, and you’re sold. It’s by far the best combo ever, and you don’t dare to look at the nutrition profile of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Soon enough one of those turns into five, and you’re macros for the day are destroyed. Two cups pack 210 calories, 13g of fat, and 21g of sugar. Need we say more?The fix: UnReal Milk Chocolate Crispy Quinoa Peanut Butter Cups. One cup only contains 80 calories, 5g of fat, and 5g of sugar. The plus: It’s made with quinoa—hello muscle-building leucine. $17.97 for 3 bags, getunreal.com
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Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar
All chocolate, nothing more—the ultimate way to satisfy any sweet tooth. While a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar can get the job done, it will also cause an insulin spike when it’s not warranted—goodbye muscles.The fix: Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Mildly Sweet Chocolate Nuggets with Almonds. Four pieces contain 190 calories, 13g of fat, 21g of sugar, and 3g of protein. The added benefit of this candy is that each piece contains an almond. Almonds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and dark chocolate is a powerful source of antioxidants. Also keep in mind that moderation is key.
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Haribo Gold-Bears Gummi Candy
Gummi bears are the a prime choice for when you’re craving something fruity, yet Haribo Gold Bears Gummi Candy are made with ingredients that will sabotage your physique—even if the serving size is just 17 pieces. The ingredients list reads: corn syrup, sugar, gelatin, dextrose, citric acid, corn starch, artificial and natural flavors, fractionated coconut oil, carnauba wax, beeswax coating, and artificial colors Yellow 5, Red 40, and Blue 1. Do you really want to ingest all of that?The fix: Nuts.com‘s Organic Gummy Bears. These bears are made with organic rice syrup, organic cane sugar, gelatin, organic carrot juice, organic aronia juice, organic black currant, organic cucuma, natural flavor, citric acid, ascorbic acid, and organic sunflower oil. Isn’t it nice to come across something that doesn’t have Red 40 or artificial flavors?Price varies depending on size, nuts.com
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M&M’s Milk Chocolate
Portion control can be totally lost with these chocolate-covered crunchy pieces—five will soon be 35. One serving size of M&M’s Milk Chocolate contains 240 calories, 10g of fat (6g sat fat), and 30g of sugar.The fix: UnReal Candy Coated Milk Chocolates. Forty pieces will only give you 170 calories, 7g of fat (4g sat fat), and 15g of sugar. That’s almost half of the amount of calories and sugar compared to M&M’s. 3 bags for $17.97, mms.com
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3 Musketeers Bar
Do you really need to consume that large 3 Musketeers bar?The fix: Save yourself on this one and opt for the minis. This chocolate is actually considered the healthiest among chocolates because it’s lower in fat. While one large bar contains 240 calories, 7g of fat, and 36g of sugar, seven mini pieces contain only 170 calories, 5g of fat, and 27g of sugar.
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Snickers Bar
Everyone loves the classic Snickers bar. Yet one bar packs a punch: 215 calories, 11g of fat, and 20g of sugar. The fix: Make your own. This recipe comes from Detoxinista.com.
What you’ll need
Makes six full-size bar or 12 minisFor the nougat1/2 cup creamy almond butter2 tbsp maple syrup1 tbsp coconut flourFor the caramel filling12 soft Medjool dates, pitted (about 3/4 cup packed)1/3 cup water1/4 tsp salt1/2 tsp vanilla extract1 tbsp coconut oil, melted1/4 cup chopped peanutsFor chocolate coating1 cup dark chocolate chunks1 tsp coconut oil
Directions
For the nougat layer, combine the almond butter, coconut flour, and maple syrup in a bowl. Then press the dough onto a baking sheet that’s lined with wax paper—creating a rectangular shape for the dough. It should be 1/2-inch thick. Place in freezer to set. While that is freezing, combine the dates, salt, vanilla, and coconut oil, and water in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Remove the nougat from the freezer and spread the caramel filling on top. Next, spread chopped almonds on top, and put it back in the freezer for 30 minutes. For the chocolate coating, mix the chocolate chunks and coconut oil in a bowl and melt it in the microwave. Then remove the bars from the freezer and slice into six or 12 bars. Spread the chocolate on the bars, and return them back to the freezer for 15 minutes.
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<h3 class="gallery-item__caption-title">When The Cravings Hit...</h3><p>Simply put: Candy is bad for you. But there will be days when the Snickers bar is calling your name, and it seems a lot more appetizing than your rice puffs. A candy bar or rice puffs? The candy bar wins, but your physique soon won’t. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel—healthy candy that’s OK to indulge on. Click your way through these healthy alternatives to your favorite sweet-tooth goodies. </p>Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
All someone has to say is chocolate and peanut butter, and you’re sold. It’s by far the best combo ever, and you don’t dare to look at the nutrition profile of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Soon enough one of those turns into five, and you’re macros for the day are destroyed. Two cups pack 210 calories, 13g of fat, and 21g of sugar. Need we say more?
The fix: UnReal Milk Chocolate Crispy Quinoa Peanut Butter Cups. One cup only contains 80 calories, 5g of fat, and 5g of sugar. The plus: It’s made with quinoa—hello muscle-building leucine.
$17.97 for 3 bags, getunreal.com
Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar
All chocolate, nothing more—the ultimate way to satisfy any sweet tooth. While a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar can get the job done, it will also cause an insulin spike when it’s not warranted—goodbye muscles.
The fix: Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Mildly Sweet Chocolate Nuggets with Almonds. Four pieces contain 190 calories, 13g of fat, 21g of sugar, and 3g of protein. The added benefit of this candy is that each piece contains an almond. Almonds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and dark chocolate is a powerful source of antioxidants. Also keep in mind that moderation is key.
Haribo Gold-Bears Gummi Candy
Gummi bears are the a prime choice for when you’re craving something fruity, yet Haribo Gold Bears Gummi Candy are made with ingredients that will sabotage your physique—even if the serving size is just 17 pieces. The ingredients list reads: corn syrup, sugar, gelatin, dextrose, citric acid, corn starch, artificial and natural flavors, fractionated coconut oil, carnauba wax, beeswax coating, and artificial colors Yellow 5, Red 40, and Blue 1. Do you really want to ingest all of that?
The fix: Nuts.com‘s Organic Gummy Bears. These bears are made with organic rice syrup, organic cane sugar, gelatin, organic carrot juice, organic aronia juice, organic black currant, organic cucuma, natural flavor, citric acid, ascorbic acid, and organic sunflower oil. Isn’t it nice to come across something that doesn’t have Red 40 or artificial flavors?
Price varies depending on size, nuts.com
M&M's Milk Chocolate
Portion control can be totally lost with these chocolate-covered crunchy pieces—five will soon be 35. One serving size of M&M’s Milk Chocolate contains 240 calories, 10g of fat (6g sat fat), and 30g of sugar.
The fix: UnReal Candy Coated Milk Chocolates. Forty pieces will only give you 170 calories, 7g of fat (4g sat fat), and 15g of sugar. That’s almost half of the amount of calories and sugar compared to M&M’s.
3 bags for $17.97, mms.com
3 Musketeers Bar
Do you really need to consume that large 3 Musketeers bar?
The fix: Save yourself on this one and opt for the minis. This chocolate is actually considered the healthiest among chocolates because it’s lower in fat. While one large bar contains 240 calories, 7g of fat, and 36g of sugar, seven mini pieces contain only 170 calories, 5g of fat, and 27g of sugar.
Snickers Bar
Everyone loves the classic Snickers bar. Yet one bar packs a punch: 215 calories, 11g of fat, and 20g of sugar.
The fix: Make your own. This recipe comes from Detoxinista.com.
What you’ll need
Makes six full-size bar or 12 minis
For the nougat
- 1/2 cup creamy almond butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut flour
For the caramel filling
- 12 soft Medjool dates, pitted (about 3/4 cup packed)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
For chocolate coating
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Directions
For the nougat layer, combine the almond butter, coconut flour, and maple syrup in a bowl. Then press the dough onto a baking sheet that’s lined with wax paper—creating a rectangular shape for the dough. It should be 1/2-inch thick. Place in freezer to set. While that is freezing, combine the dates, salt, vanilla, and coconut oil, and water in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Remove the nougat from the freezer and spread the caramel filling on top. Next, spread chopped almonds on top, and put it back in the freezer for 30 minutes. For the chocolate coating, mix the chocolate chunks and coconut oil in a bowl and melt it in the microwave. Then remove the bars from the freezer and slice into six or 12 bars. Spread the chocolate on the bars, and return them back to the freezer for 15 minutes.