Addicted to Sugar? This Halloween Candy Claims to Use Healthier Ingredients

For years, man has sought the ideal diet to inspire optimal human performance. Indeed, ever since our ancestors discovered how to hunt and gather, society has pushed towards a utopian culinary endgame where there’s enough food for everyone, and all of it is nutritious and tasty. And is that really too much to ask? Apparently so, because unless you’re actively pursuing minimally processed food (like a plant-based diet and/or indigenous cuisine), it can be hard to know what you’re actually eating, even if you’re reading the ingredient lists. It’s even harder to find guilt-free options when it comes to snacking, and damn-near impossible when it comes to eating candy. Well, B.T.R. Nation claims to have found a solution. 

Technically, B.T.R. stands for Bring The Reese’s “Be BOLD, TENACIOUS, and RESILIENT,” according to the site’s bio page. When founder Ashley Nickelsen was caring for her ailing parents, she found herself standing in front of a hospital vending machine and wishing there was a healthy and tasty treat on offer. She later drew from her work in food studies and biochemistry to create candy that checked both boxes. Now, as Halloween approaches, she wants us to be eating [checks notes] cherry-flavored dark chocolate superfood truffle cups. Fuck you, Sn*ckers!

If you think these cherry-chocolate candies are full of boring stuff like fruit and weird sugar substitutes and all that, you’re wrong! The recipe includes “sustainably and ethically sourced” cacao nibs, cashews, vanilla—the cornerstones of any tasty dessert you might find at your friendly neighborhood health food store. (OK, there’s obviously cherry, and also organic dates, but….) Furthermore, this candy is vegan, keto, and paleo-friendly, meaning that bad guys definitely aren’t wasting their time filling them with drugs and razor blades this Halloween. Yep, simply good, classic ingredients here, like the prebiotic tapioca fiber and monk fruit extract our forefathers loved, before capitalism and the Standard American Diet ruined it all. Literally, I think Benjamin Franklin wrote at great length about how he loved organic unsweetened coconut flakes and Himalayan pink sea salt (he didn’t). In fact, some call him the first Anthony Bourdain (they don’t). 

Real talk, there is space in Halloween for candy that’s [emoji handshake] tasty and healthy, and B.T.R. Nation is at least trying to fill that hole. Plus, you can currently get 25% off sitewide and free shipping with the code TREATYOURSELF. Anyway, hopefully replacing at least a portion of your Halloween candy with B.T.R. Nation’s candy could help you avoid another classic November 1 stomachache, which is itself a reason to investigate (read: eat a lot of it.)

Try B.T.S. Nation’s candy (and make sure to use the code ‘TREATYOURSELF’) here.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.