The title sounds contradicting: what comes to mind when you think of candy? I am sure nothing healthy.
(By the way: The famous PB Max bar from Max family had lots of sugar and calories. The family stopped producing it, however, not because of dismal nutritional content, but rather because the family disliked peanut butter! And Cotton Candy, as bad as it can get for teeth, was co-invented by a dentist in 1897).
Before you start feeling bad about all the Max bars and Cotton Candy you have consumed so far, let me tell you there is nothing wrong for a kid or an adult to take an occasional stroll in Willy Wonka’s edible garden. As long as this walk is not too long.
To satisfy your sweet tooth cravings and not feel guilty it is good to know your healthy alternatives.
Here is some good news for you (and mostly for your kids): candies can be healthy!
Where and how can you get these healthy candies?
If you want to invest some time, you can make great candies yourself; otherwise visit your neighborhood health store or one of the large supermarkets’ health food departments.
Here is a quick overview of healthy candies you can buy at the store or make yourself.
Candies to buy:
Plain organic popcorn:
You can either buy already popped or pop your own using a microwave or a pan. I agree microwaves are not healthy but if you already have one you might as well use it. Drizzle some organic coconut oil and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Your own Trail Mix:
Get your favourite dry fruits, nuts and seeds and mix them together, then divide into portions. You can buy trail mix from a health store. The advantage of making your own is you get to choose the ingredients you like and it costs less.
One of my favourite trail mixes is goji berries, raw chocolate nibs and walnuts.
You can find more trail mix ideas here.
Dark Chocolate:
Choose a high quality organic dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa.
Candies to make:
I am very busy myself and I realize most of us cannot afford spending too much time in the kitchen. This is why I test all the recipes first to make sure they are worth your time. Only then I recommend them to you.
Apple Almond Delight:
Quarter and core an apple. Fill each quarter with ½ teaspoon nut butter of your choice. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top. Granny Smith or Pink Lady apple with crunchy almond butter and some cinnamon is my favourite!
Another option is to fill a celery stick with nut butter. Top with cinnamon and dried cranberries.
If you need to make this candy “to go”, just stick the apple quarters together to make a whole apple or “sandwich” two celery sticks and wrap.
Frozen Banana Ice Cream Truffles (by Jennifer Danter):
I got this recipe from the food section of Alive magazine. The truffles are easy to make and and taste great. The only thing I did not manage to replicate was the picture perfect round shape. Mine looked more like cookies, but that was the only downside and did not prevent them from quickly disappearing.
Here is the Frozen Banana Ice Cream Truffles recipe.
If you are up to making your own candies and want to get more ideas please check My Picks -> Healthy Candies section.
I will keep adding new recipes once I have discovered and tested them.
If you have some good healthy candy recipes please share them in the comments in this post.