June 18, 2007

Fabulous Finds: "Soleful" PurposeA "Sweet" Story

by Christine Sephar

I had a sweet tooth as a kid…literally. I was born with an extra tooth that I endearingly decided was my sweet tooth. Figuratively speaking, I am sure that tooth was the catalyst for my lifelong relationship with the sweet stuff. Of course, the tooth fell out with all my other baby teeth, but the love affair with candy? Well…you know where that stands…

The problem with becoming a conscientious adult, however, is that it’s hard to remain naive about what we put into our bodies and hard to ignore that most of the candy we grew up on contains not-so-sweet ingredients, like trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, chemical preservatives and synthetic coloring agents.

Having no intention of giving up the “habit,” I went on a mission to find healthy alternatives and there are plenty. First, I learned that there’s more to Paul Newman than salad dressings and spaghetti sauces. His Paul Newman’s Own Organics (www.newmansownorganics.com) makes milk chocolate peanut butter cups (can you say heaven?!), which are made with all organic ingredients. Don’t look at these as a “trim the waistline” choice though, just a lot healthier. One piece of Paul’s delicious decadences contains 60 calories and 4 grams of fat, while its conventional twin is 90 calories and 5 grams of fat.

And then there are Gummi Bears… those cute little chewy darlings have always been a favorite of mine. But, as an enlightened adult, I’m very aware that they contain chemical dyes and unhealthy sweeteners. Luckily, Let's Do… Organic! makes a mean gelatin and gluten-free classic Gummi Bear, as well as a tantalizingly tart Super-Sour Gummi Bear. The best part? They’re as cute as the old standby, but made with colors derived from organic fruit juices and spinach powder (Don’t get grossed out…you don’t taste the spinach). You can get them at Edward and Sons Trading Company (www.edwardandsons.com) and at Wellness Grocer (www.wellnessgrocer.com).

And on days when I’m (sigh…) looking to cut calories or sugar, I’ve still found a way to pamper my palette more healthfully. Pamela's Raw Organic “Pammies” (www.pammiescandy.com) are made with organic almonds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds—no partially hydrogenated oils here! I’ve also happily ditched those aspartame-filled “diet” desserts and bonded with a natural low-calorie sweetener, Xylitol, which comes from plants. SparX candies from Xlear (www.xlear.com) are cute little Xylitol sweetened, fruit flavored candies that come in a tube, so you can carry them with you for times when you need a “fix.”

So, I’m happy to say my sweet tooth lives on, and even happier to know that, thanks to some smart candy creations, I can still satisfy it without sacrificing my health.

Any comments?