Remember back in the day when we’d come home from school and stuff ourselves silly with those sugary and fruity gummy candies? We’d trick ourselves into believing the fruit component meant it was actually good for you, though our dentists (and our stomach) begged to differ!
Now there’s a new fruit gummy candy alternative that’s lower in sugar, sodium, and calories for more mindful snacking that satisfies your sweet tooth (without leaving you with that sickly sweet feeling in your gut!)
Recreating the childhood candy you know and love, Vancouver-based confectionery brand Healthy Hippo has created a healthier alternative to sweet snacking with their incredibly delicious low-sugar candy gummies composed of better-for-you ingredients.
These sweet or sour candies are low in sugar (containing just 3g of sugar or less per 50g bag), and are high in fibre, fully vegan, non-GMO, AND made with absolutely nothing artificial! Plus, they are free of all common allergens, like milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, and wheat.
Healthy Hippo gummies are packaged in vibrantly-coloured packs — evoking pure nostalgic 90s joy — and the candies themselves consist of eye-catching colours and flavours, all made from fruit and vegetable juices such as turmeric and spirulina.
Photo: Healthy Hippo.
Currently, Healthy Hippo snacks come in three varieties. Hippo Gummies have a sweet, soft, and chewy texture with flavours — including lemon, watermelon, mango, and strawberry — that POP. The fruit gummies are also available as Sour Gummies, which start off sour and fade to sweet. Healthy Hippo’s take on Sour Keys gives this classic sour candy a healthy twist with fruity flavours such as lemon, lime, orange, and strawberry.
Healthy Hippo is also the only Canadian candy brand using monk fruit as their sweetener — a special juice concentrate that significantly replaces added sugar, and complements rather than overpowers the natural fruit flavours.
First used by Buddhist monks in 13th century China, the small green melon-shaped fruits are used in herbal cough remedies. Today, the mogrosides within the fruit extract are being explored in medical research for its anti-inflammatory properties.
Plus, with monk fruit, there is no weird lingering aftertaste like those found in sweeteners like stevia, which triggers both sweet and bitter taste receptors.
Another health benefit offered by Healthy Hippo candies is its high fibre content. On average, adults should intake about 25-38 grams of fibre per day, while kids should have about 15-25 grams a day. Healthy Hippo’s serving sizes are under those limits, so you can indulge freely!
Photo: Healthy Hippo.
Healthy Hippo Founder & CEO Ashley Paterson has always been passionate about creating healthier alternatives to unhealthy foods.
As a mother, sweet tooth enthusiast, and plant-based advocate, she had the idea of creating her own better-for-you confectionery business that specializes in making candy (one of her all-time favourite treats) with all-natural ingredients.
Paterson grew up closely observing her mother, who founded the successful vegan manufacturing company Big Mountain Foods. She was inspired by her mother’s approach to innovative vegan recipes, which ultimately led the candy entrepreneur to act upon her mission of making healthy choices the easy one to make, and giving every sweet tooth the treat it deserves!
For a limited time only, the Limited Edition Variety Pack includes all three packs for a sweet sampling of all varieties and flavours - and is 20% off for as long as supplies last. For more info and to place an order, visit healthyhippo.ca/shop.
