Healthy Valentine’s Day candies

Every year as Valentine’s day nears, candy companies begin advertising sweet chocolates and candies to give as gifts. Instead of eating a bunch of sugary snacks, here’s a list of 8 festive alternatives that still taste good.

1. Chocolate-dipped strawberries

One of the most popular treats for a variety of occasions, chocolate dipped strawberries and chocolate dipped fruit in general has long been popular at parties and for gifts. For those who don’t have enough time to make their own chocolate dipped fruit platters, companies such as Edible Arrangements make chocolate-dipped fruit baskets and deliver at your house the same day.

2. Yogurt and chocolate chips

Another option for those who still want some chocolate is a plain yogurt with some mini chocolate chips mixed in. This can be used with fruit yogurt too, and you can even add in granola or other toppings to customize your dessert.

3. Angel food cake with whipped cream and fruit

A lighter option is angel food cake with a dollop of whipped cream on top. The cake by itself is enough, as it is quite sweet, but if you want a little more flavor then incorporate a simple addition of raspberries or blackberries (or both). The white cake and red fruit also fits right in with the Valentine’s day color scheme.

4. Popcorn

Lightly salted popcorn is always a popular snack, and it’s pretty healthy too. If you want a little more flavor, it can be paired with apple or pear slices and even a drizzle of chocolate or caramel to make it sweeter.

5. Chocolate covered nuts

Chocolate covered nuts are a popular sweet and salty snack that can be found easily in many stores. However, though it is easy to eat a whole bag of the bite sized pieces, you need to be careful and limit yourself as these are not the healthiest.

6. Fruit Smoothie

A simple fruit smoothie is always a healthy and sweet snack, whether it be for breakfast or just a drink. If you’re looking for something a little creamier and sweeter, you can add a scoop of ice cream to the mix.

7. Candied Pretzels

For those who want a sweet and salty treat, yogurt or chocolate covered pretzels fit the requirements perfectly. They are not very expensive if bought at a store, and can come in the traditional pretzel shape or pretzel sticks. Or, if you want to make your own, it is simple enough (though quite messy) to dip the pretzels in melted chocolate and then place them on wax paper.

8. Whipped Cream and Fruit bowl

This one is a very simple treat for those that don’t have enough time to make some of the more complicated alternatives. Fruit by itself is often already called nature’s candy, but with a little whipped cream it’s even sweeter.