Calories in Candy: Does Eating Too Much Cause Weight Gain?

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Candy is not only a favorite snack for children but also attracts adults. Let’s explore with AVAKids how many calories are in a candy and whether eating a lot of candy will make you fat through the article below!

Ingredients in Candy

Candy is a type of food in the form of pellets or bars, the main ingredient of which is sugar. This term is also commonly used to refer to sweets, encompassing any type of sweet candy, including chocolate, chewing gum, lollipops, hard candies, mints like Chupa Chups, PlayMore mints, Alpenliebe jellies, Mentos chewing gum, Pure Fresh,… fruit candies, and sugar candies.

In addition to sugar as the main ingredient, candy also contains some essential nutrients for the body such as: Fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals,… Besides, candy also contains some additives such as leavening agents, preservatives, and emulsifiers.

Kẹo the PlayMore hương táo hũ 22g (từ 3 tuổi)

PlayMore apple-flavored hard candy, 22g jar (from 3 years old)

How many calories are in one candy?

There are many different types of candy on the market, so it is impossible to determine exactly how many calories are in one candy. Each type of candy will have a different calorie content depending on its ingredients and composition.

Type of Candy Calorie Count
Pure Chocolate 510 calories/100g
Dark Chocolate 520 calories/100g
White Chocolate 525 calories/100g
Milk Chocolate 534 calories/100g
Alpenliebe Caramel Milk Candy 650 calories/100g
Alpenliebe Fruit Candy 600 calories/100g
Chewing Gum 360.2 calories/100g
Traditional Coconut Candy 410 calories/100g
Durian Coconut Candy 500 calories/100g
Fruit Jelly Candy 341.3 calories/100g
Chocolate Jelly Candy 400 – 460 calories/35 – 40g
Haribo Jelly Candy 367 calories/100g
Chupa Chups Lollipop 20 calories/piece
Peanut Candy 485 calories/100g
Brown Rice Candy 180 calories/100g
Cu Đơ Candy 500 calories/100g
Banana Candy 410 calories/100g
Sesame Candy 517 calories/100g
Nougat Candy 398 calories/100g
Play More Candy 417 calories/100g
Mentos Candy 161 calories/100g
Snickers Candy 498 calories/100g
Ginger Candy 80 calories/100g
M&M’s Candy 515 calories/100g
Dynamite Chocolate Candy (3 pieces) 14 calories/piece
Dynamite Candy 14 calories/piece
Zai Zai Jelly Candy 15 calories/piece

Does eating candy make you fat?

Candy is mainly composed of sugar or sugar substitutes. Candy is a high-energy sweet treat containing a lot of sugar and fat. Studies show that consistently eating large amounts of candy daily increases the risk of cavities, type 2 diabetes, and uncontrolled weight gain, even obesity.

If you only eat a few small candies each day, the amount of calories you consume will be negligible and won’t cause weight gain. Therefore, it’s best to eat candy in moderation and combine it with a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruits to effectively manage your weight.

Kẹo dẻo PlayMore Cupcake hương trái cây gói 48g (từ 3 tuổi)

PlayMore Cupcake fruit-flavored jelly candy, 48g pack (from 3 years old)

How to eat candy scientifically without gaining weight

Eating candy improperly can negatively affect your health, especially leading to uncontrolled weight gain. Let’s explore with AVAKids how to eat candy scientifically without worrying about weight gain:

  • Only eat candy after main meals: When hungry, the need for energy is at its highest, requiring a large amount of candy to meet the body’s needs. Meanwhile, the need for energy after a full meal is reduced, so you only need to eat a small amount of candy.
  • Choose nutrient-rich candy: You can choose diet-friendly candies such as those using glucose or fruit sugar instead of white sugar, ensuring delicious flavor while better controlling your weight.
  • Combine with scientific exercise when eating candy: Exercise helps the body burn energy and fat. If you are a sweet candy lover, you should actively exercise, take the stairs, walk, or cycle,…
  • Eat sugar-free, low-calorie candy: To reduce concerns about calorie intake when eating candy, you can opt for sugar-free candies made with xylitol. They usually contain very few calories, don’t cause weight gain, and don’t affect oral health.
  • Eat candy in appropriate amounts: The key to eating candy is moderation, even for diet candies, sugar-free candies,…
Kẹo socola Nestlé Milo Nuggets gói 25g (từ 3 tuổi)

Nestlé Milo Nuggets chocolate candy, 25g pack (from 3 years old)

What are the health effects of frequent candy consumption?

Although candy is a favorite snack for all ages due to its sweet taste and attractive colors, eating too much can negatively affect your health:

  • Rapid weight gain: Candy mainly consists of sugar and other fat-rich ingredients like butter, milk,… Eating a lot of candy causes the body to consume excessive sugar and fat, leading to weight gain.
  • Nutrient deficiency: Candy usually contains very little nutrition. Therefore, eating a lot of candy without supplementing nutrition from other food sources can cause nutrient deficiencies.
  • Depletion of essential nutrients: When eating a lot of candy, the body must use important nutrients such as calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C,… to digest all that sugar.
  • Leads to cavities: The sugar in candy can cause harmful bacteria to thrive, leading to cavities and other oral diseases.
  • Increased risk of disease: Eating too much candy raises blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease,…

Alternatives to candy for sweet tooths

Fruit

Fruit is a very healthy alternative to candy. Fruit has a natural sweetness, provides many nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and usually contains very few calories.

Not only fresh fruit but also frozen fruit offers high nutritional value and can be a perfect candy substitute. You can make your own frozen fruit with yogurt at home for a delicious and nutritious snack.

Lốc 4 hộp sữa chua ít đường Vinamilk 100g (từ 1 tuổi)

Pack of 4 low-sugar Vinamilk yogurt cups, 100g each (from 1 year old)

Nuts and dried fruit

Nuts and dried fruit combined with cereals, chocolate,… will create a delicious and nutritious snack. This snack will provide you with high amounts of fiber, protein,… In particular, regularly eating dried fruit also helps improve nutrition and palatability.

Furthermore, if you have time, you should make your own dried nuts and fruit at home because store-bought versions often contain added sugar, making them sweeter and higher in calories. This makes it harder to control your sugar intake.

Homemade ice cream

Making popsicles at home is extremely simple. You mix fruit with water, fresh milk, fruit juice, or you can mix fruit with yogurt if you prefer a thicker texture. Then, pour the mixture into ice cream molds and freeze overnight. It’s easy to make delicious, cool, fruit-flavored popsicles without adding sugar or any additives.

Thùng 48 hộp sữa tươi tiệt trùng TH true MILK không đường 180 ml (từ 1 tuổi)

Case of 48 TH true MILK unsweetened sterilized fresh milk boxes, 180 ml each (from 1 year old)

Honey-roasted nuts

For a sweet candy alternative, you can try honey-roasted nuts. Nuts are usually rich in unsaturated fatty acids that protect cardiovascular health, along with high amounts of fiber and protein.

Mật ong ruồi nguyên chất Xuân Nguyên 160 ml

Xuan Nguyen pure honey, 160 ml

Coconut flakes covered in dark chocolate

Dark chocolate contains many antioxidants that improve cardiovascular health, while coconut provides a high amount of MCT fats that speed up fat metabolism. Therefore, coconut flakes covered in dark chocolate are not only good for health but also aid in weight loss. The sweetness of the coconut flakes combined with the slightly bitter taste of the chocolate creates a perfect combination.

Strawberries covered in dark chocolate

Dark chocolate can also be combined with strawberries to create a sweet treat that replaces various candies. In addition to its delicious flavor, strawberries are also known to be a fruit rich in vitamins and antioxidants.

Frequently asked questions about eating candy

1. What candy is both delicious and helps with weight loss?

Eating low-calorie candies can help you effectively manage your weight. You can refer to some of the following candies:

  • Fruit jelly candy: This type of candy contains no fat, only starch and sugar. The calorie content is relatively low, approximately 176 calories/10 pieces.
  • Chocolate with peanut butter filling: The fat and protein in peanuts help curb hunger, reduce cravings, and prevent weight gain.
  • Candy made from natural organic ingredients: These candies usually contain no fat, very little sugar and starch, and are only about 60 calories per piece.
Kẹo socola M&M

M&M’s peanut butter chocolate candy, 100g pack (from 3 years old)

2. Does eating candy cause acne?

Each day, you need to consume about 37.5g of sugar from main meals and about 25g of sugar from sweets for your body to have enough energy. If you consume more sugar than your body needs, your health will suffer, and you may develop acne.

This is because excessive sugar makes collagen cells in the body work poorly, causing skin tissues to stiffen, wrinkles to appear, and skin to become rough and develop acne. Therefore, you need to eat a healthy and nutritious diet to maintain your health.

Kẹo dẻo Nova Kids bổ sung chất xơ 24g (từ 1 tuổi) - Màu ngẫu nhiên

Nova Kids fiber-supplemented jelly candy, 24g (from 1 year old) – Random color