It’s that time of year when jelly beans and chocolate eggs are starting to appear, and many of us will be rushing to the grocery store in the next week to grab some last-minute sweets. In 2018, 146 million pounds of easter candy were purchased in the week before Easter alone! With large amounts of candy flying off the shelves this week, it’s important to think about the environmental impacts of your holiday treats!
One easy way that you can help wildlife with your holiday choices is by keeping an eye out for palm oil. Palm oil is a very common ingredient in the United States, and is found in many different foods. Unfortunately, there are many species, including tigers, whose homes are being destroyed to create palm oil plantations. Luckily, there are plenty of tiger-friendly options you can choose this year! Here’s just a few ideas for candies that don’t contain palm oil:
Chocolate:
- Endangered Species Chocolate Bars
- All Flavors
- Alter Eco Chocolate Truffles
- All Flavors
- M&Ms
- Milk Chocolate, Pretzel, Almond, Dark Chocolate, Mini’s
- Hershey’s
- Milk Chocolate Kisses, Milk Chocolate Bar, Almond, Special Dark
- Original Reese’s Cups
- Unreal Snacks
- Dark Chocolate Coconut Bars
- Dove Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate Promises, Milk Chocolate Promises
Candy
- DumDum Suckers
- All Flavors
- Jolly Ranchers Hard Candy
- All Flavors
- Rainbow Nerds
- YumEarth Organic
- Lollipops, Gummy Bears, Gummy Worms, Gummy Fruits, Sour Beans
- Glee Gum
- Peppermint, Spearmint, Bubblegum, Cinnamon, Triple Berry
- Black Forest
- Gummy Bears, Gummy Worms
It is still important to read the labels as you are choosing a candy, because some varieties may contain different ingredients than the original. For example, regular Reese’s peanut butter cups do not contain palm oil, but many of their holiday varieties (including their Easter eggs!) do.
Even if you aren’t a big fan of candy, it’s still important to keep an eye out for palm oil. Palm oil can be found in all kinds of products including soap, makeup, and laundry detergent. Some palm-oil free options include:
- Hurraw! Lip Balm
- All Flavors
- Temporary Tattoos
- Eco Crayons
- Stickers
- Sidewalk Chalk
- Pencil Toppers
- Play-Doh
- Bubbles
- Limedrop Nail Polish
- Toy Cars
By asking the Easter Bunny for these simple swaps, you and your family can celebrate a tiger-friendly Easter!