Debate: Fruity Vs. Chocolate Candy

Rola Alasmar and Mackenna Barker|October 30, 2013

Fruity Candy – Mackenna Barker

Fruit flavored candy is undoubtedly one of the world’s top 10 inventions. Skittles, Nerds, StarBursts, gummy bears, Air Heads, Mike & Ikes, Laffy Taffy, Sour Patch Kids; the list goes on and on. The possibilities of flavors and varieties are endless. We grew up being rewarded with Jolly Ranchers when we behaved well in elementary school – fruity candy is an inherent part of us.

But beyond being a sweet treat for us for years, fruity candy has the perk of variety. There is a type of fruity candy out there for everyone. Whether you like sweet or sour, hard or chewy, juicy or crunchy, you will undoubtedly find something you love. Not to mention that fruity candy is friendly to the lactose intolerant population.

Also, fruity candy just makes us generally feel better about ourselves. While chocolate makes me feel fat and depressed, the bright label claiming “MADE WITH REAL FRUIT!” on my fruity candy packaging gives me the luxury of being able to lie to myself and pretend I’m actually being healthy and gaining some sort of nutritional value. And of course, let’s not forget that health experts insist that you should eat several different colored foods everyday; fruit flavored candy allows me to eat the whole rainbow AND have fun doing it. Take that, health experts!

Men, don’t be afraid of the girly connotations of the word “fruity,”; there is no shame in enjoying some adorable gummy bears. And if you really want to show off your manly side, try eating five Warheads at a time without puckering. That’s a true test of strength!

Chocolate candy – Rola Alasmar

When it comes to enjoying a sweet treat, the delicious, soothing taste of chocolate candy is something that no fruity candy could ever compare to. Whether your weakness may be Reese’s, Snickers, or anything else, there is no doubt that there is a type of chocolate candy for everyone.

Chocolate has a unique flavor that you can’t get from eating anything else, whereas fruity candy does nothing but replicate flavors of other foods. Eating a Starburst or Jolly Rancher  is just simply not as satisfying as having a Hershey’s bar.

And as if you need more of a reason to choose chocolate over fruity, the possibilities of treats you can make with chocolate are endless. S’mores, brownies, cakes, cookies, ice cream bars. Try making s’mores using Sour Patch Kids.

Chocolate also serves as a great gift for someone you care about. Why is it that no one gives their girlfriend Skittles for Valentine’s Day? Clearly because chocolate is the better option.

Another bonus of chocolate candy is that the variety is unending. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate. Milky Way, Butter Finger. Chocolate with almonds. Chocolate with caramel. You can pretend that there is a variety of fruity candy as well, but when it comes down to it, no matter what type of fruity candy you buy, it’s going to taste like one of the same basic flavors. Strawberry, orange, grape. That’s about as diverse as it gets. To make it worse, fruity candies are nothing more than sugar and preservatives.

Eating chocolate also works to lift your mood. It makes you happy and gives you pleasure. Fruity candy gives you rotten teeth.

So when buying candy for Halloween or just as a treat for yourself, choose the obviously better option and enjoy the taste of a sweet, chocolatey sensation, because “tasting the rainbow” is overrated.