In recent years, the world of confectionery has seen a significant shift towards “better-for-you” candies, reflecting an increasing consumer demand for health-conscious alternatives. The grocery store aisles are now filled with healthy candy options, including low-sugar candy, candy without artificial dyes, organic candy, high-fiber candy, and more. This trend suggests that satisfying your sweet tooth doesn’t necessarily have to come at the expense of your health — at least, that’s the promise. And during the Halloween season, the allure of healthy candy is especially strong. But the bigger question remains, can these healthier options truly deliver the joy and satisfaction we seek from indulging in our favorite sweets? Because if a Halloween candy doesn’t taste good what’s the point of eating it — right?
As a dietitian, I’ve always maintained that taste should never be compromised for health claims alone. If a candy doesn’t bring joy, no amount of added fiber or reduced sugar can make up for it. Driven by this belief, I embarked on a selfless mission: to taste-test the most popular “healthy candies” on the market to help you navigate your Halloween treat-eating. Armed with a discerning palate and an openness to new tastes, I delved into this delicious task to identify which options truly stand out, offering both delightful flavors and a nod to healthier indulgence. Consider me your generous guide through the world of health-conscious sweets!
What Is “Better-For-You” or Healthy Candy?
“Better for you” is a term with no official definition, but generally, it means that a food is modified from its traditional make-up to support our health in one way or another. So, better-for-you candy generally refers to sweets that are designed to be “healthier” alternatives to traditional candies. These products aim to satisfy the craving for something sweet while offering nutritional benefits or reduced negative impacts on health.
Since there is no official criteria to qualify a candy as “better-for-you”, I decided to create my own in order to embark on this taste-test quest. I used the following criteria to classify whether a candy can be deemed “better-for-you”.
Criteria for Better-For-You Candy
I decided that the healthy candy I’d taste-test would have to include at least one of the following benefits. I didn’t get too prescriptive — I’m not including specific amounts of sugar or fiber per serving a “better for you candy” must contain, for instance. Instead, I took into account the most common concerns health-conscious people have about traditional sweets, and searched for options that improved on those sore spots. Here’s what I was looking for:
- Less sugar. Reduced sugar or no added sugar both qualified. But I skipped candies that replaced sugar with aspartame. The artificial sweetener isn’t necessarily dangerous, but it has been linked to some not-so-great health effects.
- More natural ingredients If a candy used natural sweeteners or flavorings instead of artificial ones, it was worthy of a taste-test.
- More nutrients. Here, I was looking for the: inclusion of vitamins, minerals, or fiber to enhance nutritional value.
- No artificial additives, including artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
- Allergen-free options: Halloween is tough for kids (and adults!) with dietary restrictions, such as those who are allergic to peanuts, gluten, or dairy. So allergen-free candy earned a spot on my list.
The Best Healthy Candy For Halloween
Again, what good is a low-sugar, high-fiber, all-natural, allergen-free candy if it doesn’t taste good? Since many healthier candies are more expensive than their traditional counterparts, the last thing you want to do is spend the money on something you end up not wanting to eat. So, I both evaluated the nutritional content and ingredients to find the candy that really is better for you and not just using a health halo effect, and tasted them to make sure they don’t leave you gagging. Then, I ranked them based on ingredients, nutritionals, and most importantly, taste and consistency. No yucky healthy candy on this list, folks! (I did give extra points to candies that have a Halloween-themed packaging because I am a sucker for cute holiday packaging.)
Here are our top picks of better-for-you candy to enjoy during the Halloween season and beyond.