And we tested them for your snacking pleasure.
I go steady a TikTok the other mean solar day that claimed there were two types of people : those who view candy like a once - in - a - while treat , and those who corrode it like a unconstipated bite . fortuitously , it ’s getting easier and easier to fall into the second camp . And that ’s because the modern candy grocery store is awash with unspoiled - for - you brands that feature low - sugar , natural ingredients , and even some wellness benefit .
You ’ve probably had a probability to prove a bag ofUnrealcandy - cake peanuts , Justin’speanut butter cups , orYumEarthlollipops , which were some of the first ware to really branch out ideas about what a good for you alternative could look like . But a Modern crop of sweet goody — from vitamin - infused chocolates to quid made from upcycled vegetables — are taking that innovation one pace further .
Behave , a brand founded byMayssa Chehata , not only offers right - for - you versions of existing confect , but also insert tang that have n’t yet made it to the confect gangway . The brand ’s gummy bear , for example , come in flavors like lychee and passionfruit , while its sour star are made of pink Ananas comosus .
Photo courtesy of Behave
Chehata , who developed her business savvy at wellness food startupDaily Harvest , has always had a sweet tooth . “ I think that can be ok for some meter , but it eventually trip up up with you , ” she enunciate . “ I was looking to produce a ware that had depressed sugar , low final carbs , and was really strong from a macro nutritional position , but also did n’t apply any stilted ingredients . ”
She quickly collaborated with celebritychefElizabeth Falkner , who narrow down in pastry - making . “ I think there are health food category where you could sort of get away with a product tasting a chip like grass , ” Chehata explains . “ But I acknowledge if we want to interrupt confect , it had to smack just as good as what citizenry are used to , because at the end of the twenty-four hours , it ’s still an craziness . ” Falkner , immediately energized by the idea , invite Chehata to the kitchen of her Brooklyn apartment . Before they knew it , the glutinous bear was born .
The neon publicity features simple , sheer typography — certain to get anyone ’s middle at a checkout counter . Chehata wanted to ensure that the promotion speak to an grownup consumer . “ When take the air the confect aisles , what really stood out to me was how many stigma were talk to children . The mascots as cartoon characters , the color schema , the electronic messaging , the terminology that ’s used — everything mat up very geared towards kids , ” Chehata explains . “ But the the true is that all the purchasing decision are being made by adults , and actually , a lot of the consumption of candy is being done by adults as well . ”
Photo courtesy of Gigantic
Better - for - you confect brands like Behave come at a steeper price point . Six base of Pink Pineapple Sour Stars , for model , cost $ 30 . But Chehata explains that such pricing is necessary when continue high values for a product . “ We ’re sweetening our merchandise with really mellow - quality , natural sweeteners like industrial plant - ground fibers , allulose , and monk fruit . Our gelatin is the cleanest - source gel that you may find on the grocery store — completely cosher and grass fed . ” Chehata go for that , once the business continues to originate , she can make the product more low-priced .
The messaging behind Behave balances a okay line between hook up with good - for - you ingredients and step into diet culture territory . “ We ’ve really taken care to create a brand that ’s focused on abundance and pleasure and more , rather than less and restriction and rationalize certain things out , ” Chehata says . “ Why not have two pocketbook or three travelling bag , because you do n’t have to restrain yourself . ”
It ’s healthy eating — not confinement — that resonates with Gen Z and a younger millennian audience . “ Gen Z is probably the first generation coming up in a world where they do n’t have to necessarilylearnsustainability , the benefit of holistic eating , cleaner - recording label foods , and products that are less processed ” Chehata explicate . “ As a firebrand , you almost do n’t even have to get over that educational hurdle . I think it ’s just very entrenched in the way that they eat and devour in ecumenical . ”
Photo courtesy of Sourse
As a penis of Gen Z ( who barely touch the crosscut ) , I examine out a bit of good - for - you confect brands to help you ( safely ) fulfil your next sugar craving . These are the one that taste just as good — if not better — than the real deal .
Gigantic
Grabbing a mammoth bar feels like hitting the jackpot on Halloween — they’re full - size bars with delightfully nostalgic packaging . They ’re also plant life - based , gluten - free , take only seven gram of sugar , and are made with fair craft cocoa . unsubdivided , serious - for - you ingredients like Madagascar vanilla extract , Prunus amygdalus butter , and coconut milk take the place of stilted additives . spirit include Salted Peanut , Hazelnut Cafe , Almond Horchata , Banana Pecan , and the modified edition Double Dark Mint . My personal favorite was theAlmond Horchata — a perfectly cinnamony flavor you do n’t often see represented in candy bars . These prevention have such a great bite , with gooey caramelized sugar and wassail nuts . I even wish to toss them into the refrigerator when I ’m lust a frozen goody .
Climate Candy
A sincerely wiz idea . After a trip to the Global Seed Vault in Norway , founders Amy Keller , Kevin Wall , and Susan Smalley spring up a product that eliminates food waste , upcycling weak produce into nourishing - dumb candy . Each pack of manduction ( which issue forth in strawberry , cherry red , orangish , and lemon varieties ) offers four servings of fruits and vegetable . I taste Faves rather blindly , under the impression that it was just a healthier version ofStarburst , and had no idea it contained vegetables until I read the back of the bag . They have a very strong , of course fruity appreciation , contain a perfectly chewy texture , and are — most importantly — expert for the major planet .
Sourse
These are vitamin - infusedM&M ’s . Sourse take that burnt umber , a prebiotic , is an even sound delivery system than gummies or pills , because the nutrient are capable to bypass your digestive system solely , resulting in 90 % concentration . You have Glow Bites for plant life - base collagen , Hype Bites for vitamin B12 , Mood Bites for saffron crocus and Vitamin D , and Beauty Bites for biotin . I have no idea if these chocolates had any affect on my pelt , vigour , mood , or hair , but I good enjoyed the rite of taking a few of these after meals to satisfy my craving for something sugared . They are so much better than your average M&M , because one , they ’re bigger , and two , they are made of fair - business deal black coffee . My only ill is that you have to specify yourself to two of each kind a day , because after all , they are supplements .
Tamalitoz
The brand ’s signature Mexican - pep up , sweet - yet - spicy candy pillow were make at Sugarox Candy Store , a petite confect shop in Mexico City owned by married man Jack Bessudo and Declan Simmons . While many traditional Mexican candies are covered in chili con carne , the squad at Tamalitoz puts the chili on the interior , so you get the angelical , fruity , smack of the confect first , finally take a leak style for the hints of tart and dour hotness from the centre . TheChewlowsline of confect has less than one g of dough per quid , are made with organic constituent , hold in no artificial sweeteners , are vegan , gluten - complimentary , and non - GMO . We ’re fans of the Divine Watermelon , a Citrullus vulgaris manducate with hints of chili , lime , and sea salt .
Behave
True to Chehata ’s idea of abundance , each bag of Behave feel like a hefty quantity of snackage . The gummies might be modest , but there ’s a lot of them , which gives you an opportunity to really take your time indulging . The grain of the bears and stars is corresponding to your standard Haribo , but the flavors are truly unequaled . These candies have a natural , kind of insidious , yield taste — not sickeningly sweet or sour . Chehata plans to publish even more , never - been - seen - before flavors this class , and I can not hold off .
Lily’s Sweets
Lily ’s Sweets have been around for quite some time now , but father Cynthia Tice continues to innovate with Modern offerings . My personal pet are theDark Chocolate Baking Chips , which I nosh on direct out of the bag . I like that they ’re miniature , and because they ’re designed for baking , they have the perfect crunch . I ’m also a fan of theCreamy Caramel Filled Dark Chocolate Bars , which , like all Lily ’s chocolates , are fair - trade certified , non - GMO , gluten - free , and have no added sugar . Last year , Lily ’s released Gummy Bears and Sour Gummy Worms , which have less than one gram of sugar per bag and come in savor like Apple - Peach and Lemon - Raspberry .
Kindroot
Okay , so these are lozenges — not candy . But I have always snacked on Ricolas and will continue that riding habit with these adaptogenic drops , perfect for the incoming flu time of year . Kindroot ’s Adaptogems are created from natural component like schisandra berries andreishi mushroom , and they can be used to target symptoms beyond a sore throat . TheSnooze Adaptogems , for instance , contain ashwagandha solution extract and naturally occurring melatonin for a better slumber .
SmartSweets
When Tara Bosch founded SmartSweets as a start - up in 2016 , she brought a low-spirited - sugar version of gummy bears , Swedish fish , and peach ring to the market . The now - multi - million clam candy empire continue to dish out new products , likeSmartSweets Jolly Gems TM , a raw take on Jolly Ranchers , and most recently , Caramels , the brand name ’s first non - fruity product that has 94 % less sugar than traditional soft yellowish brown and contain one gram of sugar per bag . They ’re the pure kind of thawing - in - your rima oris treat that can also be plopped into your morning cup of deep brown .
Photo courtesy of Behave
kindroot
