Now and then, we humans need a boost of energy to help escape fatigue. Whether we are tired at work or about to compete in a sporting event, we can often need something to help us get over the line. Most of the time, the thing that offers an urgent energy boost is food. Candy is included in this, and while I wouldn’t recommend relying on it, candy can be a great source of energy to help you thrive on that day of work or smash that sporting event.
With all this being said, not every candy is as handy for energy. You’ve got to pick the right ones out.
So today, I’m going to guide you through the domain of energy candy.
So muster all your energy, and let’s go explore!
Contents
Best Candy To Eat For Energy
Today’s top 5 list is going to inform you all about my favorite candies for energy. Let’s get straight in, shall we? After all, we don’t want to waste any energy!
Please note that all of these can be purchased from Amazon, which is where I get all my candy in bulk at great prices!
Peanut M&Ms
M&Ms, as we know, are great for snacking. But M&M’s peanut range is excellent for energy snacks.
These gorgeous delights are rich in carbohydrates, a key compound required for the production of energy in our bodies.
We’ll talk more about that later on. For now, relish the good news that Peanut M&Ms are an excellent source of energy, particularly before a big workout.
They’ll provide a long, sustained energy release to keep you going strong until the very last minute of your workout.
Did I also mention that they’re delicious? A wonderful combination of sweet and salty peanut that will make you look forward to every workout, even if you’re having one of those days where you’re struggling to get out of bed!
- Sold as 48/Box.
- M&M'S Peanut Chocolate Candy
- 1.74-oz/pack, 48 packs/box
- Bulk box of full size MM'S Peanut Chocolate Candy Share MM'S Peanut Chocolate Candy bags with friends or coworkers to add colorful fun to their day.
- Add a pack of MM'S Peanut Chocolate Candy to your lunch for an mid-day treat.
Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews
A top brand that designs its candy specifically for internal energy production.
They use organic ingredients, such as juice concentrates and honey to create these tasty chews that give you the quick burst of energy you need in no time.
They’re also versatile and suitable for consuming before, during, and after your exercise.
If you’re an advanced athlete, you’ll need the specialized energy candy. Honey Stinger is certainly that!
- DELICIOUS Our best-selling blend of 3 flavors in a 12ct box. Fruit Smoothie contains Cherry, Orange, & Berry flavored chews; These bite-sized soft Energy Chews are made for quick, sustained energy on-the-go
- ENERGY Made for pace-setters and go-getters for a quick energy boost; With 23g carbs per serving and ingredients intended for quick uptake, energy chews are the perfect portable fuel to keep you going without weighing you down
- RACE-READY Energy Chews are portable, poppable, and easy to digest, making them a must-have on race day; It’s the perfect snack to throw in your gym bag or take with you while running and biking, or to scale up your home gym workouts
- QUALITY INGREDIENTS An excellent source of Vitamin C; USDA Organic; Carbs to boost energy; Sodium to help replenish electrolytes post-exercise; and a blend of natural sweeteners replenishes glycogen stores, improving the capacity for endurance
- PROVEN More than 1,000 pro and college teams plus a generation of endurance athletes prepare, perform and recover with Honey Stinger to help achieve their performance goals and feel better along the way.
Hershey’s Mr. Goodbar
I’ve got another treat from Hershey’s later on.
For now, we’re talking about their Mr. Goodbar bar and it certainly is good as a provider of energy.
Not only does one of these bad boys give you a quick energy boost, but it will also give you through its nut content the necessary proteins for a sustained amount of energy.
A delicious snack for before, during, or after!
- Approx. 54 pieces per pound
- This item is heat sensitive and will ship with cool pack packaging as needed
Gummy Worms
I take no favorites when it comes to consuming gummy worms for energy. Just make sure that whatever brand you buy packs a high calorie and sugar content.
Gummy worms are quickly and easily digested, which is key for internal energy production, as you’ll discover soon.
Perfect release for cardio activities, especially ones where you may need new sources of energy during the activity, like cycling, for example.
Need I say anything about the tasty flavors and texture of gummy worms? I thought not. We all know how good they are.
Now you can enjoy them shamelessly before, during, or after a workout as well.
- Fruit Gummi Worms: Taste the difference of fresh fruit flavors and a deliciously soft chew you won't find with other gummy worms; Juicy flavors include cherry, green apple, pineapple, lemon and orange
- Truly Fruity: 5 flavor assortment includes cherry, green apple, pineapple, lemon and grape; This fat-free, allergen-free and gluten-free treat has only 100 calories per serving
- Stock Up the Flavor: Sweet, sour, big or small, our fat-free, allergen-free and gluten-free gummi candy bursts with fresh fruit flavor; Find your new favorite gummy worms, bears, butterflies, peach and apple rings in natural, sour and sugar free options
- Allergy Friendly Snack: Peanut free, tree nut free, dairy free, MSG free, gluten free, and with no artificial sweeteners, Albanese gummy candies are an allergen-friendly, fat free, low sodium treat packed with a sweet, fruity flavor
- Recipe For Success: For over 30 years Albanese has been making delicious treats with high-quality ingredients in the USA; Taste the difference in our wide selection of gummies, chocolates, nuts, and mixes
Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Bar
The last addition on today’s list is a dark chocolate one.
Dark chocolate is great for energy release because it avoids what is known as the crash after a sugar rush (more to come on that soon).
I chose Hershey’s Dark Chocolate bars because they are tasty and beneficial in many other ways other than just providing energy for a workout.
They also contain antioxidants such as flavanols, catechins, and polyphenols, which are all good for your body.
- Perfect for cooking, snacking, s'more making, and trick-or-treaters, this massive supply of snack size HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars is sure to meet all your chocolatey needs.
- Great as a party favor or stocking stuffer, these mini chocolate bars are a classic treat that kids and adults of all ages enjoy.
- Sweeten up any day at home, school, or the workplace with HERSHEY'S Chocolate. These HERSHEY'S Chocolate bars are OU Kosher Certified and gluten-free.
- Individually wrapped snack size candy
- This product ships as a 5-pound bulk pack.
What Types Of Candy Are Best For Energy?
The best types of candy for giving you great energy are ones that are high in sugar/calories and also easy to digest.
High Sugar
Even though candy is typically regarded as unhealthy food, at least when eaten in abundance, it can be a useful pre-workout snack to give you some energy.
But why exactly?
What has candy, well some at least, got in it can help with energy?
The first great compound that it contains is sugar.
I’m sure you’ve heard the term sugar rush. This is the name we give to that buzz of energy we receive after eating some sugar. So sugar can be a good short-term source of energy.
Sugar achieves this as it is a carbohydrate. In fact, a very powerful one.
The higher in sugar a candy, the more quick energy it will supply.
But remember, don’t eat too much sugar.
Because what follows a sugar rush is very often a big crash. This is caused by the sugar, and caffeine when it comes to chocolate bars, quickly being completely released.
Candy is a quick source of energy, after all. It’s quick to come, and it’s quick to leave.
If you don’t like the sound of the crash then I would recommend sticking to dark chocolate.
Dark chocolate contains cocoa butter which will still give you the lasting energy boost you need without the crash.
The cocoa butter does this by releasing the sugar and caffeine much more slowly.
When is it best to eat your energy-providing candy? Between 30 to 60 minutes before your workout. That way you should get your energy boost just in time.
High Calories
Calories are energy at the end of the day. Quite often, the more calories you eat, the more energy you will have.
Although some foods and candies, despite being high in calories, will actually cause fatigue. So you have to get the types and amounts right.
When your body digests and absorbs, food/candy energy is released. This energy is what is called calories.
If you eat more calories than your body requires, then it will store the excess amount as fat. So don’t go too heavy on the candy eating.
You need calories/energy before and after a workout before because you need energy. After because you need to replace the energy that you’ve spent.
So a candy that is high in calories will be fit for both of these purposes. However, I wouldn’t advise you to eat a chocolate bar on either side of the workout.
Maybe just one or the other and get your other calories from something like pasta.
Easy To Digest
As we know, when we eat something, our body has to digest it. That’s how our body derives the nutrients and energy from the food to give us energy.
But the process of digestion actually requires energy itself. After all, your body is performing an action when you digest food.
So, if you eat something, a candy, for example, that is easy to digest, then your body will use up less energy performing this task.
That will mean you are left with more energy afterward to spend on the rest of your day. Best to stick to candies that are easy to digest.
At the same time, a candy that is easy to digest will be digested quicker. This means you get that energy boost you’re looking for…quicker!
So a candy that is easy to digest will be much more convenient when you need a quick energy boost.
What Candy To Avoid When You Want Energy?
You want to avoid candy that is susceptible to reducing energy levels and also not easy to digest.
Energy Reducing
What comes up must come down. That’s also the case with sugar. You get the rush but then you will most likely get the crash as well.
But some candies are worse for the crash than others. Chocolate can often make you feel fatigued and sleepy. But why?
One of the main reasons is that it is too high in fat.
The more fat there is in a candy, the harder it will be for your digestive process to complete, as digesting fats is quite difficult. So you may feel fatigued by this.
Another reason could be a high magnesium content which can also make you feel tired.
So look out for fat and magnesium content!
Not Easy To Digest
You know I said earlier that you should eat candies that are easy to digest? Yeah, that obviously means don’t eat ones that are difficult to digest.
Two bad things will happen.
Firstly, you won’t get the energy source quickly. So you could be standing in the gym waiting for that boost to kick in for a while if your body is digesting still.
Secondly, the more difficult a candy is to digest, the more energy your body will expend in trying to get the job done, which could result in you feeling fatigued instead of energized.
So eating that candy for an energy boost would have all been for nothing.
Other Foods That Will Help Give Energy?
Plenty of other foods out there can help provide you with energy.
Let’s go through some!
Fruit
It just seems to be helpful in every department. And things don’t change when it comes to providing energy.
Bananas are especially good as they contain potassium, which brings energy. Oranges are good as well for the same reason.
Sweet Potatoes
Whilst on the subject of potassium, let’s take a moment to mention sweet potatoes.
They, too, contain potassium as well as being a great source of carbohydrates.
Greek Yogurt
A healthy source of energy-boosting protein.
Whole Grains
A slow release of energy-producing carbohydrates.
Seeds
Fantastically energizing combinations of protein and carbohydrates.
Eggs
Protein. Eggs. You know the drill.
Finally
Candy can be a great source of energy…
…but it can also be the cause of an energy crash!
Don’t overindulge, and choose candies that best suit your workout!
Let’s get physical…and eat candy!
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Hello, I’m Matthew, a candy expert and enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the candy industry. My passion for candy started at a very young age. Since then, I have worked in numerous, large candy stores, and have been fortunate enough to try out hundreds of brands of candies, different types and flavors. In addition to my work, I enjoy sharing my extensive knowledge with others, and decided to create Sugar Stand in order to do so. My mission is to make the world a sweeter place, one candy at a time.