Are Gummy Bears Healthy?
While gummy bears may satisfy your craving for sweets, they will do little to satisfy your nutritional requirements. Like most other candies, gummy bears are loaded with sugar and little more. If you choose to eat gummy bears, do so in moderation and not as a daily habit to keep your caloric intake under control.
While gummy bears may satisfy your craving for sweets, they will do little to satisfy your nutritional requirements. Like most other candies, gummy bears are loaded with sugar and little more. If you choose to eat gummy bears, do so in moderation and not as a daily habit to keep your caloric intake under control.
Fat
Regular gummy bears are generally fat free. Others, such as chocolate gummy bears, do contain some fat, with 6 g in a 1.5-oz. serving. Of this fat, 4 g are saturated. While unsaturated fat is beneficial in terms of cholesterol and must be included in the diet, saturated fat is harmful in excess.
Protein
Unlike some other candies, gummy bears do contain a few grams of protein because of their gelatin content. Gummy bears, for example, have 3 g of protein in 15 pieces, or about 5 percent of the total protein a 150-lb. person needs daily. Protein is important in terms of preventing overeating, as it holds food in the stomach and provides a feeling of fullness. The amount of protein found in gummy bears, however, is less than in other foods, such as yogurt.
Carbohydrates
Most of the calories in gummy bears come from carbohydrates. Chocolate gummy bears, for example, have 27 g of carbohydrates in 1.5 oz., or about 9 percent of the daily value, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. While gummy bears contain simple carbohydrates, they are free of complex carbohydrates, which are found in the form of starches and fiber. Minimize simple carbohydrates in the form of sugar in your diet in favor of complex carbohydrates for healthy digestion.
Vitamins and Minerals
Some gummy bears contain absolutely no vitamins or minerals. Others, such as chocolate gummy bears, contain very minimal amounts. These contain 4 percent of the daily value for calcium and 2 percent for vitamin A in a 1.5-oz. serving. They also have a small amount of sodium, with 1 percent of the daily value. The gelatin in gummy bears does not make a significant contribution to vitamin or mineral content.