yucky candy ingredients to avoid (and what to eat instead)
If you want to maintain that healthy lifestyle on candy heavy holidays like Halloween or Easter (and every other day) as well as extend it to your kids (if you have them), take a gander at some of my picks below. Whatever you do, don’t fall for those sneaky marketing words brands love to use: Non-GMO! Vegan! Gluten-free! Organic! Those are all well and good, but what really counts is what's in the ingredient list.
For example, "Dandies all-natural vanilla marshmallows" markets themselves as non-GMO, vegan, kosher, gluten-free and gelatin-free yet they have natural flavors and carrageenan in the ingredient list!
I understand that sometimes it can be a challenge to completely avoid every not-so-great ingredient [especially in cases where you aren’t the one controlling it] and honestly, the stress of restriction at all costs can be more dangerous than the one-time enjoyment of the ingredient itself. Never-the-less, it’s tough, especially for those who have kids. Regardless of how clean and healthy you may personally feed your own children, there will be times where you really aren’t in control i.e. birthday parties or school events.
The good news is those are sporadic occasions, so when you do have the choice, going for the healthier option is always best for not only their current state of health, but the future of their health. [Your child may be “fine” now, but what happens after 10 or 20 years of constantly not eating healthy, eating too much sugar, eating processed foods? Not to freak you out but what happens is disease, disfunction, sensitivities, and health issues- that’s what.
So be on the look out for those bad guy ingredients that appear in many seemingly healthy treats. Here are some:
Carrageenan: Even in low amounts, exposure to carrageenan causes inflammation which can lead to cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and heart disease. It can destroy the digestive tract since it is not digestible and in many studies has lead to glucose imbalance and diabetes.
Natural flavors: Get ready to be grossed out. Things that make up “natural flavors” are MSG, GMO soy, animal glands and more. Just because the word natural is in it, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Companies that want to show-off how natural their ingredients really are will list the flavorings they use such as “pure vanilla bean”, “lemon essential oil” and “Maca powder”. If you don’t see specifics, be aware that additives are in your treat.
Canola oil: Canola is a genetically modified product. In 2005, 87% of canola oil in the US was genetically modified. Imagine what it is now!? (1) It is also a refined oil, which increases negative health effects.
Artificial coloring and flavor: The wording says it all. Artificial, as in fake. These fake ingredients cause health problems from cancer to allergies and are often derived from petroleum and cheap toxic chemicals.
Monosodium glutamate: This excitotoxin is commonly referred to as MSG. It causes so many problems so I am just going to link you to this article to learn more.
Vanillin: Not to be confused with vanilla, this is made from wood and other petrochemicals (a chemical obtained from petroleum and/or natural gas). OMG, gross.
Caramel color: Made from ammonia and contains the chemical 4-MEI.
Sugar/Corn syrup: There are different types of sugar/sweeteners used in foods, and many times the amount in one single serving can be more that a human should consume in a day. Not only is sugar more addictive than cocaine, but it surpasses the immune system, causes fat storage, increases yeast overgrowth and so much more.
Again, all this being said, there might be times where products containing some of these ingredients are at least better than the alternative of mainstream candy. My opinion is that they should be reserved for the rare events like Halloween, Easter, Birthdays, etc. where Unreal Bites, for example, are better than M&Ms. I divided the below options into two groups. 1. Clean and healthy goodies and 2. Better than the mainstream options. Personal note: I am more of an option 1 kind of gal, but maybe 1x a year I would just treat myself to something in option 2, like Smart Sweets.
