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The Worst Candies You Should Never Eat

They're serving up tons of sugar, and nothing else. Stay away!

Oh, candy. It's truly a sweet treat that brings on all the nostalgia, reminding you of the days when you would fill with excitement at finding a piece in your lunchbox. And while having a piece of candy here or there once in a while is harmless for the most part, there are just some candies you shouldn't even bother ever having in your snack drawer. One piece can quickly turn into many pieces and you don't need these little diet-derailers around.

But which candies are truly the worst of the worst? Well, we rounded up the candies that are simply major sugar bombs you are better off avoiding at all costs. It's no secret that a diet that is high in sugar can lead to many health issues such as diabetes, obesity, heart diseasedepression, and even cancer. These candies aren't worth any of that!

Read on to uncover the most toxic candies out there, and be sure to check out the 21 Best Healthy Cooking Hacks of All Time so you can make your own meals at home, the right way.


Sour Patch Kids

sour patch kids

Per bag: 210 calories, 0 g fat, 50 mg sodium, 51 g carbs (44 g sugar), 0 g protein

Anyone who has ever eaten a Sour Patch Kid knows it's nearly impossible to just eat one or two—they're sour, then they're sweet. Who can resist? But one small bag is packing 44 grams of the sweet stuff. That's more sugar in one sitting than you would get if you ate four Original Glazed Krispy Kreme donuts.

It's no secret that candy really doesn't provide any nutritional value to your daily diet and its biggest offender is added sugar, as it's been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, among its many scary qualities.



skittles pack in wrapper
Per package: 250 calories, 2.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 20 mg sodium, 56 g carbs (0 g fiber, 45 g sugar), 0 g protein

One pack of Skittles and you're consuming 250 calories and 45 grams of sugar. These bite-sized candies are too easy to mindlessly eat, especially if you have a bag in front of you while you're working at your computer or watching TV. The first two ingredients are sugar and corn syrup, and it contains just about every artificial food coloring you can think of. Yes, we're talking Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2, to name a few. Just say no!

Need more proof there is nothing redeeming about candy? Well, here's exactly what happens to your body when you eat too much candy.



starburst package
Per serving: 160 calories, 3 g fat (3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 0 mg sodium, 34 g carbs (0 g fiber, 22 g sugar), 0 g protein

When you munch on Starbursts, you're not only ingesting corn syrup and sugar but hydrogenated palm kernel oil, the third item on the ingredients list after all that sweet stuff. It's a greasy substance that actually adds to the fat count. If you're in the mood for a colorful, sweet snack, why not just eat actual fruit instead?





Per serving: 120 calories, 1 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 mg sodium, 26 g carbs (20 g sugar), 0 g protein

If something has a mystery flavor so you don't know what you're eating, that's already reason enough to stay away. And that's what you should do—skip the chewy Airheads.


Mike and Ike

mike and ike

Per serving: 110 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 10 mg sodium, 27 g carbs (0 g fiber, 18 g sugar), 0 g protein

Each box contains more than four servings in it, so keep that in mind when you're doing the math on the amount of sugar you would be consuming here. And although overall, this candy seems not that bad, eating something that is devoid of everything isn't ideal either. There is no fiber or protein, so soon enough, you'll be reaching for more food.


Junior Mints

junior mints
Per serving: 130 calories, 2.5 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 0 mg sodium, 26 g carbs (25 g sugar), 0 g protein

One serving of these poppable treats is 12 pieces, and if you've ever had a Junior Mint before, you know how tiny these are. So soon enough, you'll be stuffing yourself with a ton of sugar and calories, especially if you happen to eat these along with some buttered, movie theater-style popcorn for that salty/sweet mix.


Jolly Ranchers

Jolly rancher hard candy pack

Per serving: 70 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 0 mg sodium, 17 g carbs (0 g fiber, 11 g sugar), 0 g protein

While Jolly Rancher's nutrition breakdown might seem not that terrible compared to others on this list, don't let that first glance fool you. Keep in mind this is just for three pieces, which is what's considered one serving. The first three ingredients for these candies are corn syrup, sugar, and some malic acid for that tangy (artificial!) flavor. No thanks!


3 Musketeers

3 musketeers candy bar


So we know this a chocolate bar, but it's still obviously candy. Since it came in as the worst candy bar ever in our ranking, we're going to remind you that this milk chocolate bar is nothing but bad news. One bar knocks you back 240 calories and has 36 grams of sugar. It's no wonder it lands a spot on our list of the sugariest foods in America, too. Plus, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the one food associated with the highest energy density—aka the most with weight gain—was chocolate bars. Yikes!

Jennifer Maldonado
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