I’m not a stranger to “healthy” candy, nor are my views on it anything but direct: there really isn’t such a thing. So if you’re looking for a candy that’s going to be something I recommend you add to your diet, you can stop reading now.

That said, I do believe there is a difference between candy and candy that is better for you. And with childhood obesity on the rise, more and more parents are looking for these sorts of confectionery avenues. Kids are always going to want to eat sweets, so you might as well buy them the ones that are not as hard on their bodies.

Recently, I have reviewed products from companies that share this vision for candy, namely from Surf Sweets and BrightSpot, so it’s not all that surprising to hear of more and more companies adopting this mantra. The latest comes from Yummy Earth, who proudly boast a tagline that their candy is “The best stuff on earth.” Hmm… Snapple anyone?

The idea for this company is steeped in genuine love of both candy and children; the founders are two fathers who teamed up develop a candy for their children that didn’t rely on all the additives, preservatives, etc. that are common in most American candy.

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I resist the idea of buying a food because it’s politically correct. I have to admit I find Seeds of Change interesting, though – their mission is “to make organically grown seeds available to gardeners and farmers, while preserving countless heirloom seed varieties in danger of being lost to the ‘advances’ of modern industrial agriculture.” And they donate a percentage of their sales to support organic farming.

But let’s face it: none of this matters unless the stuff tastes good. Because if it doesn’t taste good, they don’t have any sales to donate a percentage of, right?

Looking at the flavors of their new line of chocolates, these people totally have my number: dark chocolate with mango and cashew, dark chocolate with cherries and vanilla, milk chocolate with “puffed grains,” dark chocolate with coconut. If they only had dark chocolate with ginger, I’d think they’d installed a chip in my brain and were reading my thoughts.

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Chocolate and ginger is one of my favorite flavor combinations. And I’m picky about my combinations, as I frequently mention, in the interests of full disclosure. I don’t like all kinds of crazy different stuff mushed together. I have a lot of faith that if society in general has decided that chocolate is good with coffee, but there’s no long tradition of chocolate-blueberry, there is probably a good reason for this.

But ginger is one of those things that really works with chocolate – and yet, it’s not that easy to indulge in it. It’s just not practical for me to buy a whole box of Theo chocolates every time I’m in the mood for their fantastic chocolate-ginger piece.

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Technology is responsible for many changes, and food is no exception. Just about everything we eat has been genetically modified, treated with chemicals, and altered in some form or another in the name of “productivity.” Candy is no exception.

Why, chocolate isn’t even real chocolate half the time, and sugar went out of the window long ago in America in favor of corn syrup. Do you even remember a time when you could buy a packaged candy bar that wasn’t made with artificial flavors or colors?

That is why it’s refreshing to discover there are candy companies out there like Surf Sweets, recently acquired by tru sweets (a company of identical ethical food practices). Surf Sweets, a company native to hippie Santa Cruz (go Banana Slugs!), is steeped in a philosophy of admirable food values.

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Ok, confession time: I’m not into the whole organic/natural food thing, for two main reasons. One, I don’t believe in quick-fix solutions to the complex health, environmental and sociological issues that plague today’s food industry; and two, I just love my artificial flavors and colors too darn much. After all, the candy aisle would be a pretty boring place without them.

Still, the idea of a candy that’s truly guilt-free (I’m talking eco-guilt, not calorie-guilt) remains a tempting one, even if it’s just an illusion. So when I noticed a display of products from Shopper’s Drug Mart’s new organic line, Nativa, it was naturally the candy that jumped out at me. Though Nativa also makes organic gummy bears and fruit gummies with natural flavors and colors, it was the cola bottles (or “soda bottles,” as they’re called on the bag) that grabbed me.

Now, gummy cola bottles are among my all-time favorite candies, especially the sour variety. (Confession number two: I once ate an entire industrial-sized tub of sour cherry cola bottles from Costco – AND I’D DO IT AGAIN.) So I was very curious as to how the organic variety would stack up to the real thing. At $2.99 for a 100 g bag, they were pricey (a common problem with organic foods), but I decided to give them a try.

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