Here in the States, we celebrate two major candy holidays: Halloween and Easter. You may have noticed that healthier Halloween candy options have been popping up throughout the years. But Easter? Year after year, it’s the same old, saccharine junk.
The sad truth is that most Easter-themed candy is grossly unhealthy. Here are 5 of the worst offenders.
1. The infamous Cadbury Creme Egg
Ah, the star of the Easter candy scene, cherished by children and adults alike. Although, is it really?
Biting into a Cadbury Creme Egg is filled with memories of prized childhood hauls–it’s practically valued as currency for kids. But biting into one as an adult is… underwhelming.
The chocolate is chalky and too sweet. The creme center is practically just liquid sugar. In fact, one little egg contains 20 grams of sugar! A spokesperson for the company told the Independent, “As with all of our delicious Cadbury chocolate, Cadbury Creme Egg can be enjoyed as part of a healthy, balanced diet.” Gross.
2. Peeps
If you’re looking for an unhealthy blend of marshmallow, extra sugar and artificial colorings, a Peep is your guy. But since sugar is super inflammatory and consumption of artificial colorings has been linked with attention and hyperactivity disorders, it’s probably better to steer clear.
They really aren’t that enjoyable to eat anyway, and I personally have an unwavering policy to not eat any product that can survive an apocalypse.
3. Hershey’s Kisses Carrot Cake Candy
I’m not sure who thought carrot cake kisses were a good idea. Like real carrot cake, these are jam-packed with way more sugar than regular milk chocolate kisses, making them worse in every way.
They are just cheap hunks of inflammatory corn syrup and artificial flavors. Avoid them, this Easter and all others.
4. Dove Solid Milk Chocolate Bunny
When it comes to non-hollow chocolate bunnies, if you have portion control, you’ll be fine. Chocolate, even decent milk chocolate, is a better option than other hyper-sugar-focused candies.
Milk chocolate is much higher in sugar than other chocolates, and when it comes to bunnies, portion control is nearly impossible. Odds are, you’ll end up eating a full day’s worth of calories and sugar by munching on this bunny alone.
5. Lindt Chocolate Carrots
Ah, the perfect scheme! Candy shaped like healthy carrots!
These little guys are loaded with fat and calories along with 21 grams of added sugars. That being said, if you don’t eat the full serving size of 4 pieces and stick to only 1, this isn’t the worst candy for your Easter stash. But remember, sugar is addictive.
What should you give instead? Whether you’re into organic candy or are just looking for the healthiest of the classics, these candies boast lower sugar levels and high satisfaction, making them the cleanest options for most of us.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs (surprisingly lower in sugar for a mass-market candy and they contain protein)
- Lindt dark chocolate mini eggs and bunnies
- Hershey’s special dark chocolate kisses
- Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups
- Wholesome Organic Easter Lollipops
- Wholesome Organic DelishFish
- Wedderspoon Organic Manuka Honey Pops for kids
- Annie’s Bunny Fruit Snacks
- Unreal candy milk chocolate gems
The gist is, stick to quality chocolate, fruit, and honey-based confections. You’ll feel better as a result.
DIY Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs
If you’re really not into the processed candy scene, you can get creative and make these homemade chocolate peanut butter eggs to take control of the content and quality of what goes into your Easter candy. The recipe is pretty simple and could easily accommodate dairy-free, low-sugar, and higher quality adjustments. My recommendations?
For the dough filling, stick to almond or cashew butter, good maple syrup, and tapioca starch for thickening, rather than all of that powdered sugar.. Slowly melt good dark chocolate, maybe with a little coconut oil, dip the shaped dough, and viola! Healthy chocolate almond/cashew butter eggs!
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