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heart shaped box of chocolates

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and chances are you’ll be enjoying some heart-shaped candy on February 14. While we think Valentine’s Day is a great occasion to enjoy a special meal, a fancy bottle of wine and afestive treat, some goodies stack up better than others.

Here are the worst offenders (and best bets) if you’re watching your sugar intake:

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Peeps Lovebirds

27 grams sugar (5.5 teaspoons)

Peeps with several measuring spoons of sugar beside it

Apparently Peeps are a Valentine’s Day candy too, and they are our worst offender. A serving of four chicks on a stick contains almost your entire daily added sugar limit. They also contain some controversial additives, like Red 3 and 40, which arelinked to hyperactivity, allergies, aggressiveness and other behavioral problems in children. You’re better off enjoying a different treat on this list, or sticking to just one Peep.

Russell Stover Assorted Chocolates

26 grams sugar (5 teaspoons)

Russel Stover candies with several measuring spoons of sugar beside it

“Life is a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get,” Tom Hanks said as Forrest Gump, the award-winning movie of his character’s namesake. We actually now know what we are getting here—a whopping five teaspoons of sugar in just three truffles (one serving is unfortunately not a whole box). Do yourself a favor and enjoy a chocolate treat you can actually get excited for this Valentine’s Day, like ourChocolate Decadence.

Hershey Kisses

18 grams of sugar; 16 grams added (3 ½ teaspoons)

Hershey Kisses with a few measuring spoons of sugar beside them

Reese’s Hearts

16 grams of sugar (3 teaspoons)

Reese’s Heart with 3 measuring spoons of sugar beside it

This Valentine’s Day classic is always worth the extra sugar, but there’s a whole lot of it in a single peanut butter-filled heart. One Reese’s Heart knocks out half your day’s added sugar limit in just two bites, but at least it tastes good going down.

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Godiva Assorted Legendary Chocolates

14 grams of sugar (3 teaspoons)

Godiva Assorted Legendary Chocolates with 3 measuring spoons of sugar beside them

Both of these popular chocolate treats pack just under 3 teaspoons of sugar per serving. One serving of Godiva Legendary Chocolates equates to four pieces (dibs on the chocolate oysters). This is pretty generous for chocolate, and you could easily just eat half of a serving if you are being vigilant about your sugar intake.

Dove Milk Chocolate & Dark Chocolate Swirl Hearts

14 grams of sugar (2 1/2 teaspoons)

Dove Chocolate hearts with 3 measuring spoons of sugar beside them

These dreamy swirled chocolates contain the same amount of sugar as the Godiva chocolates—and also allow for four chocolates per serving. Once again, you could likely get your chocolate fix from just two of these if you are curbing sugar.

Brach’s Conversation Hearts

13 grams of sugar (2 ½ teaspoons)

Brach’s Conversation Hearts with 3 measuring spoons of sugar beside them

Conversation heartsnearly went extinct in 2019when Necco, the original producer of conversation hearts went out of business. I was content to never eat another chalk-like conversation heart again, and figured everyone else would be too, but apparently we always want what we can’t have.

Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Squares (60% Cacao)

12 grams of sugar (2 ½ teaspoons)

Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Squares with 3 measuring spoons of sugar beside them

It’s important to know where dark chocolate lands on the list, as many of us turn to it for a healthy treat. Dark chocolate ispacked with good-for-you nutrients, like fiber, magnesium and iron. While you can find plenty of dark chocolate options with less or no sugar at all at specialty grocers, we chose Ghirardelli because it is widely available. Three squares pack 2 ½ teaspoons, which isn’t bad for an occasional treat.

Lindt Lindor Milk Chocolate Truffles

10 grams of sugar; 8 grams of added sugar (1 ½ teaspoons)

Lindt Lindor Milk Chocolate Truffles with 2 measuring spoons of sugar beside them

These mouthwatering chocolate truffles land in the top spot for best Valentine’s Day candy. Don’t you love that the best option is something that actually tastes good? If you’re looking for a festive way to get your special someone in the kitchen with you this V-Day, try making ourChocolate Nut BarkorDark Chocolate Peanut Butter Trufflestogether instead.

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