Try This Better-For-You Candy (Win!)

Halloween is coming up and, most years, that means piles of sugar-filled treats. But Healthy Hippo, the Vancouver-born, plant-based and low-sugar candy brand, wants to change that once and for all, offering a healthy take on your fave childhood candy. We chatted with founder Ashley Paterson to learn more! —Noa Nichol

Hi Ashley! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.

I am a third-generation plant-based entrepreneur! Learning from the best, my mom founded Big Mountain Foods, an early leader and innovator in plant-based meat alternatives. I grew up understanding the importance of wholesome, simple and nutritious ingredients, which helped get me to where I am today. Now with a daughter of my own, I have set out to create what every mom wants: candy kids will love, and moms will feel great about (and enjoy themselves!).

When and why did you launch Healthy Hippo? What niche were/are you aiming to fill?

I started Healthy Hippo back in 2017 and went through three years of innovating to get to the product we are today. We needed to remain low in sugar while still having premium quality ingredients, incredible taste, and great texture. The goal was to bring back the pure nostalgic joy of your childhood candy, but with the better ingredients you want and need now.

What products do you currently offer, and what makes them unique?

We offer five different products, all bursting in flavour, with a soft and chewy texture that doesn’t stick to your teeth! What makes our product unique is that we are the first in our category to be sweetened using solely monk fruit—no stevia, sugar alcohols or allulose. We are also leading the category with our Non-GMO Project Verified and Carbon Neutral Certification.

Sugar: most of us realize it can pose health problems, but can you tell us what those are and why sugar ought to be avoided?

There is a long list of reasons why we should avoid sugar, but in short form—higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes and fatty liver disease, all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

You use monk fruit instead of sweeteners in your candy; how did that innovation come about, and what are the benefits?

I have been using monk fruit as my sweetener of choice for over a decade now, I love that it has no aftertaste whatsoever! Monk fruit itself has anti-inflammatory properties and is up to 200 times sweeter than sugar. It was a no-brainer to use it in our candy!

We’re coming up on Halloween! What are your top recommendations for Healthy Hippo handouts this year?

When it comes to flavour it’s all about personal preference, but the kids tend to love the Sour Keys, Fizzy Colas and Swedish Hippos!

healthyhippo.ca

Win! A Healthy Hippo Halloween Prize Pack!

Congrats Carol A. of Ameliasburgh, ON, who will receive a Healthy Hippo Halloween Prize Pack including two 12 packs of Healthy Hippo + a water bottle! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadaily.ca. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.