Discover Irresistible Low-Calorie Candies That Let You Indulge Guilt-Free!

For those with a sweet tooth navigating the world of healthy eating, the desire for candy can be a real challenge. The good news is, you don't have to completely deprive yourself! This guide explores a variety of low-calorie candy options that allow you to indulge your cravings without derailing your health goals.

The Allure of Sweets and the Pitfalls of Deprivation

Candy and sweet treats are often high in sugar, providing primarily empty calories. While it's important to be mindful of sugar intake, complete deprivation can lead to intense cravings and overindulgence later on. The key is finding a balance, enjoying sweets in moderation as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Strategies for Mindful Indulgence

Before diving into specific candy recommendations, let's explore some strategies for enjoying sweets responsibly:

Limit Serving Size: Opt for candies that come in pre-portioned, small bags to help control how much you eat.
Chew Gum: When a sudden craving hits, sugar-free chewing gum can provide sweetness and flavor for only about 10 calories.
Hard Candy: Sucking on a hard candy offers a longer-lasting flavor experience in a small size, satisfying your sweet tooth with fewer calories. Consider peppermint, butterscotch, caramels, Jolly Ranchers, Werther’s, or Life Savers.
Avoid Some Artificial Sweeteners: While artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin can reduce calorie count, some research suggests they may have negative effects on gut bacteria or insulin response. Sugar alcohols or natural substitutes like monk fruit or stevia are often considered better options in moderation.
Check-In with Yourself: Before reaching for candy, ask yourself if you're truly craving it or simply feeling tired or bored. If it's the latter, try taking a break, going for a walk, or drinking a glass of water to refresh yourself.
Hide Your Sweets Stash: Keep candy out of sight by storing it behind other foods in your pantry, freezer, or refrigerator.
Plan for It: Instead of snacking on sweets impulsively, schedule a specific time to enjoy your treat, such as after a meal or as a reward after work.

Low-Calorie Candy Options: A Comprehensive Guide

Here's a curated list of candies that allow you to satisfy your sweet cravings while staying within a 100-calorie limit:

Chocolate Delights

Endangered Species Dark Chocolate Bites: If you're a dark chocolate enthusiast, these fair-trade, all-natural chocolate bites are a great choice. A two-bite serving contains just 120 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and only 2 grams of sugar. Plus, 10% of net profits are donated to protect wildlife.
UnReal Coconut Bars: These bars feature sweet coconut covered in dark chocolate, with only 3 grams of added sugar and 70 calories per bar. They are made with simple ingredients like organic coconut, organic cassava syrup, and dark chocolate.
UNREAL Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups: For those who crave Reese's, these gluten-free, vegan, fair-trade treats offer a similar experience with 36% less sugar.
Tom and Jenny’s Chocolate Soft Caramels: If you love the combination of salted caramel and chocolate, these chewy caramels are a delicious option. They are naturally sugar-free, sweetened with plant-derived Maltitol and Non-GMO xylitol, keto-friendly, and gluten-free.
Dove 100 Calorie Bars: These single-serving milk chocolate bars are a simple and satisfying way to quench your chocolate craving.
Mini 3 Musketeers: One mini musketeers has only 30 calories! All of the “mini” versions of Mars snacks are pretty low in calories too.
Reeses Mini Cups: Reeses mini cups are about 40-50 calories per cup
Rollos: Rollos are about 40 calories per snack.
Snickers: Snickers are 40-50 calories per snack.
Milky Way: Milky Way is 40 calories per snack.If you eat 2-3 of these you’ll get your chocolate fix but will only have eaten up to 100 calories.
100 Calorie Packs: Dove has 100 calorie milk chocolate and dark chocolate bars that is the same, but packaged in half the size. For anyone who gets a chocolate craving like me, this is a great option for a small treat.

Gummy and Chewy Candies

Smart Sweets: If you prefer chewy candy, Smart Sweets offers a variety of gummy options, including sweet chews, sour gummy bears, sweet gummy bears, sweet fish, peach rings, and sour blast buddies.
Yum Earth: Yum Earth makes a variety of organic and non-GMO candies, from lollipops to gummies and licorice. They contain no artificial flavors, dyes, or high fructose corn syrup.
Black Forest Gummy Bears: These gummy bears come in convenient pouches to help prevent overindulging and are made with real fruit juice and organic ingredients.
Red Vines Made Simple (Licorice Twists): These twists are made with simple ingredients, natural flavors and colors, and no high fructose corn syrup.
Jelly Belly: One jellybean has only 4 calories!! That means you can have 10 jelly beans and you’ll have only racked up 40 calories. The flavors are great too and the variety is always fun to eat. Keep in mind, Jelly Belly does contain artificial flavors and colors, so they are a much more processed treat than some of the other alternatives above.
Oomph Chews: 5 Oomph brand chews have about 92 calories (or 16 calories a piece), if you subtract the non digestible calories. They come in a few different flavors including apple, dark chocolate, and passion fruit.
Hi Chews: four Hi Chews has about 87 calories. Hi Chews have more available flavors, but their candies also contain more sugar.
Twizzlers: Three pieces of Twizzlers contains 90 calories, meaning each one is about 30 calories. They also make a zero sugar Twizzler candy option where each string is 20 calories, meaning you could eat 5 for 100 calories.
Jelly Beans: Depending on the flavor, Jelly Beans have about 4-5 calories per bean. This means you can eat 20-25 and still fall within the 100 calorie range. They are pretty high in their sugar content, but most organic or similar bean candies were also high in sugar.

Other Sweet Treats

Dr. John’s Healthy Sweets: This sugar-free snack has added dietary fiber and vitamin C and contains no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. They’re also gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegan, Kosher, and made in a nut-free facility.
Wedderspoon Organic Manuka Honey Pops: These natural lollipops are made with Manuka honey and come in raspberry, orange, and grape flavors. Each lollipop contains a little less than 25 calories.
York Mini Peppermint Patties: Mini Peppermint Patties are a great way to satisfy your chocolate mint craving. One mini is only 50 calories!
Lifesaver Mints: One of these Lifesaver mints has just 15 calories! Sucking on it helps me avoid eating other foods and puts a sweet, minty flavor in my mouth.
Lifesaver Fruity Candy: A single hard lifesaver fruity candy contains 15 calories. Similar to the mint version, they are a hard candy that is great to suck on. Bags come with 5 flavor options, so you can switch it up!

Cookie Alternatives

Chips Ahoy 100 Calorie Packs: These packages contain 15 mini cookies, providing portion control and allowing you to enjoy a sweet treat for only 100 calories.
Trader Joe’s Organic Animal Crackers: Each cookie/biscuit is about 7 calories!
Mix and Match: You can even mix and match these 100 calorie packs - if you take 2 Chips Ahoy cookies, 2 Oreo cookies, 2 Shortbread cookies and 3 Animal Crackers, you’ll end up with a candy mix is only about 50 calories!

The Science Behind Cravings

Understanding the root causes of cravings can empower you to make more mindful choices. Cravings can stem from various factors, including:

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Nutrient Deficiencies: Your body may crave certain foods if it's lacking essential nutrients.
Hormonal Imbalances: Fluctuations in hormones can trigger cravings, particularly during menstruation or pregnancy.
Emotional Needs: Sometimes, we turn to sweets for comfort or to cope with stress, boredom, or sadness.
Habit and Conditioning: Repeatedly indulging in sweets can create a conditioned response, leading to cravings even when you're not truly hungry.

Building a Healthy Relationship with Food

The ultimate goal is to cultivate a healthy relationship with food and your body. This involves finding a balance between enjoying the foods you love and nourishing your body with nutritious options. Remember, it's okay to indulge in sweets occasionally as part of a well-rounded diet.

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