The Candy Edit
Issue No. 34
Gummy Bears via @pinterest
The Candy Edit
Hi and Happy (belated) Halloween to all who celebrate! After September’s ‘Slow Your Roll’ post, I took my own advice and slowed my roll. The weekly Lacey List became monthly for a moment. If you noticed, I’m flattered. If you didn’t, I’m okay with that too. I’m going to play with the cadence a little to find our sweet spot (get it?) and see what new formats I can unlock (interviews! audio! etcetera!). I’d love to hear what you’d love to see (or hear) most.
So, back to Halloween. Somehow, spooky season feels even spookier this year. With Election Day less than a week away, I’m finding myself more anxious and unsettled than ever. So, I thought this week I’d focus on something we can control: our candy consumption. I realize this might be coming on a week when you (or your kids) are bringing home mountains of the worst kind of candy — this is precisely the point. Times of uncertainty are also times when we’re looking for a little dopamine boost, like a frivolous online purchase or a sweet, decadent something to eat. I’m not here to tell you not to do it! Instead, I’m here to inspire you to choose better-for-you options when the candy craving strikes.
Is Conventional Candy Really That Bad?
I’m a firm believer in the 80/20 rule — make informed choices 80% of the time and enjoy yourself the rest of the 20%, without stressing over whether it’s a decision for your health. That said, Dr. Will Cole, a leader in functional medicine, shared a great post that made me remember that eating conventional candy is not how I want to spend my 20%. He shows us the evolution of ingredients over time in America’s favorite candy and, spoiler, it’s gross. Short ingredient lists (malted milk! egg whites! molasses!) have evolved into much longer lists touting harmful additives we definitely don’t need (high fructose corn syrup, seed oil, yellow 5, red 40, emulsifiers, carcinogens, the list goes on and on... ). As if the insane sugar content in modern, conventional candy isn’t enough, manufacturers have paired it with artificial additives, preservatives, and even more sugar. As Dr. Cole points out, many of the chemicals found in this type of candy have been linked to chronic conditions like metabolic disorders and inflammation. This is a particularly upsetting truth when we consider that candy’s most loyal consumer is our children! (And, apparently, Max, my editor 😂).
The Usual Suspects
The 2024 list of America’s most popular halloween candy, ranked by popularity, is as follows:
M&M’s
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Sour Patch Kids
Skittles
Starburst
Hot Tamales
Candy Corn
Hershey Kisses
Hershey Mini Bars
Butterfinger
I was planning to pull out the ingredients in each of these and highlight the worst offenders one by one. That felt like a depressing exercise (and I’m here to be positive! motivating! not a fear monger!) So, instead, let’s talk about the candy brands that are doing it better. There are so many! And they’re reimagining what it means to enjoy a treat. They’re also (thankfully!) raising awareness and creating a movement in the process. Unreal’s launch video in 2012 says it all. I highly recommend watching it if you haven’t.
Better Brands
Here is a list of better-for-you swaps that I promise are still just as satisfying!
1. Instead of M&M’s, try:
They’re undetectably close to the classic M&M we all know and love. The main difference? They’re formulated with less sugar and no artificial ingredients. I also love that Unreal was started by a teenager and his (well-connected) dad on a quest to make candy less bad for you.
2. Instead of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, try:
Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Unreal Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Skinny Dipped Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
3. Instead of Sour Patch Kids, try:
Better Sour Gummy Candy
Smart Sweets Sour Blast Buddies
They’re made with plant based colors and no artificial sweeteners, plus they’re high in fiber and low in sugar. Check and check.
4. Instead of Skittles, try:
5. Instead of Starbursts try:
Lovely Candy Organic Sour Chewy Candies
6. Instead of Hot Talames, try:
Surf Sweets Cinnamon Organic Bears
7. Instead of Candy Corn… just don’t eat Candy Corn.
8. Instead of Hershey’s Kisses, try:
Hu Kitchen Dark Chocolate Gems
That’s It! Organic Dark Chocolate Truffles
9. Instead of Hershey’s Mini Bars, try:
10. Instead of Butterfinger, try:
Tom Bumble Peanut Butter Flak Candy with Chocolate.
Other Better Choices…
Hey Yum! Organic
Cocomels Coconut Milk Caramels
Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears
What am I missing? Hit me up with any favorite better candy brands!
The Switch Witch
Since yesterday was Halloween, I wanted to mention a brilliant tradition I just learned about from a friend. Here’s how it works:
Your child goes out trick-or-treating on Halloween. When they get home, they can pick out five of their absolute FAVORITE pieces of candy. The rest of their hard-earned bounty they leave outside for the Switch Witch, who magically replaces it with a toy ✨ the next morning. You could honestly try this switch concept as an adult, too. Replace the junk in your pantry with a “toy” or “fun purchase” you’d rather have anyway…
Links I Loved This Week
Sarah Wragge’s recipes rarely disappoint and this pumpkin pancake is no exception! And, speaking of better-for-you treats, this apple pie dupe is as healthy as they come and will have you forgetting about the real thing, possibly for good.
I’m sure I’m late to this but I just bought my second order of Emi Jay hair accessories (yes, I originally learned about Emi Jay through Casey Lewis’s substack about youth culture). I’m wearing their headband as I type this and this big ass hair clip in red is in my daily rotation.
