Halloween might have the reputation as the candy holiday of the year, but Valentine’s Day is just as filled with sweetness (and day-after discounts on all of your favorite treats).
And though heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and conversation hearts are classics (no disrespect), they often lead to the most romantic day of the year ending in a sugar coma. Not exactly the candle-lit evening you’d imagined, right?
If your sweetheart has a sweet tooth, consider showing your love with a healthified take on their favorite candy this year. From protein-packed chocolate-covered almonds to low-sugar peanut butter cups and gummy bears, today’s innovative brands have created a solution for just about every craving—without sacrificing indulgent flavor.
So, go ahead and light those candles, crank up that cozy Spotify playlist, and fall head over heels for these better-for-you sweets. Conversation hearts don’t stand a chance!
Quest Peanut Butter Cups
At 190 calories for two cups, Quest’s PB cups might seem pretty similar to your standard chocolate-peanut butter combo—but where their calories come from couldn’t be more different. That two-cup serving of Quest’s sweet treat packs 11 grams of protein for less than a gram of sugar and a gram of net carbs, meaning they satisfy your hunger (and muscles) just as much as your sweet tooth. Doesn’t get much better than that!
Eat Me Guilt Free Brownies
From the brand dedicated to making guilt-free versions of your favorite foods, these brownies are low in carbs (just seven grams) but high in protein (a whopping 22 grams). Made with recognizable ingredients that deliver big on flavor, they’re an easy alternative to boxed brownie mix. Plus, you cater to every sweets craving with a variety of other flavors, like Birthday Cake, Red Velvet, and even Blondie.
Lily’s Stevia-Sweetened Chocolate Candies
The chocolate lovers at Lily’s have pretty much mastered the art of all things sugar-free, sweetening their variety of chocolate candies and other goodies with stevia. Their Dark Chocolate Caramels are rich and smooth, the Milk Chocolate Caramel Popcorn and Milk Chocolate-Covered Peanuts offer the perfect balance of salty and sweet—and the Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups? Dreamily creamy. Whichever of their popular better-for-you sweets you choose to treat yourself to, know that every serving contains less than a gram of sugar.
SmartSweets Candies
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about chocolate, so if you’re more of a gummy bear or sour worms kind of person, don’t feel left out. SmartSweets is changing the game with their sugar alcohol- and artificial sweetener-free candies, all of which contain less than four grams of the sweet stuff per serving. Instead, their colorful gummies are loaded with fiber—a win for your taste buds and your tummy.
Read More: Sugar Comas Are Real—Here’s What You Should Know
Choose between the Red Twists, Sourmelon Bites, Berry Sweet Fish, Tangy Peach Rings, Sour Blast Buddies, Fruity Sweet Chews, and Fruity and Sour Gummy Bears—you can’t go wrong with these better-for-you sweets.
Optimum Nutrition Protein Almonds
If you’re a fan of chocolate-covered nuts but want your treat to pack a little extra oomph, well say hello to ON’s Protein Almonds. Available in Dark Chocolate Truffle, Cookies & Cream, Cinnamon Roll, Dark Chocolate Espresso, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter, they’ve got twice as much protein as your usual go-to. Thanks to a whey-enriched coating, each sleeve provides 10 grams of protein—and a heckuva lot of flavor.
KetoLogic Keto Indulge Dark Chocolate Candy
If you live the high-fat life, KetoLogic’s sugar-free Mocha and Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Candies are for you. They’re surprisingly simple, made with ingredients like unsweetened chocolate, erythritol, cocoa butter, hazelnut butter, vanilla extract, and Stevia, so you can feel good about indulging. Bonus: These luxurious chocolates also just so happen to be vegan.