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Lifestyle

Trick or Treat or SmartSweets

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at Harvard chapter.

There’s nothing quite like a fresh pack of gummy candies. The satisfying chew, sweet fruity flavor, and sour punch are a nostalgic candy treat. But too often, artificial ingredients and exorbitant sugar levels compromise the enjoyment of these snacks. It’s been shown extensively that sugar can have negative effects on your healthy, but come on, what’s life without a little candy? That’s exactly where SmartSweets founder Tara Bosch comes in. Her entrepreneurial, health-driven perspective shines through in SmartSweets candies.

Who They Are

SmartSweets is a women-owned candy company founded in Canada, with all its products manufactured in the USA. It was founded only a few years ago, but has quickly garnered national and international attention. You might wonder, “How revolutionary can a new brand of gummy candy be?” One taste and one look at their ingredients list, and you’ll understand the hype.

Taste + Ingredients

SmartSweets gummy candies come in fun flavors including sweet, sour, fruity, and the classic gummy shapes of bears, ‘buddies’, and fish. The company boasts no artificial colors or flavors, and you can actually taste the difference. The small candies are bursting with juicy, fruity flavor. They also come in vibrant, exciting colors – without anything artificial! Munching on red and orange gummy bears while studying definitely makes for a more pleasant experience. And these SmartSweets leave you feeling good, rather than a sugar crash from most candies.

Typical gummy candies are also filled with sugar. But SmartSweets contain no sugar, no sugar alcohol, and no artificial sweeteners. Everything is plant-based, gluten-free, and non-GMO. They are sweetened with low-glycemic stevia, and are even packed with fiber from chicory root and tapioca. 

Each 50-gram pack of candy has only 3 grams of sugar and 80 calories. As a bonus, each pack also contains 3 grams of protein and 28 grams of fiber! Compare these nutrition facts to your typical 50 grams of gummy bears, which have 23 grams of sugar and 180 calories. 

This Halloween, don’t get spooked by the amount of sugar and artificial ingredients in most candy. Instead, enjoy the natural sweetness and variety of SmartSweets.

Shelby Yuan

Harvard '19

Food-obsessed, cat-loving, marathon runner and baking aficionado