Forbes magazine recently announced their top 10 healthiest candies. Chosen for taste and nutritional benefit, some of their picks are not really candies at all. An apple, which might be considered to be a treat by many people, is not and never will be candy.  A candy is a sweet, a confection and something that should not be confused with a piece of fruit, as the Pop'ems chosen by Forbes surely are; the combination of fruit and nuts, even if called a treat, should never be confused with candy. Taste-wise, a Larabar is a better option if you are going to count fruit as candy, because at least the spicy, complex, adult-tasting Cocoa Mole flavor has a good amount of cocoa powder in it.

Forbes is not off base on all of their choices, but candy still needs to be something at least a little special. Here are Slashfood’s 8 picks for healthiest (or least unhealthy) candies:

• Cocoa Via - Formulated to promote a healthy heart and even lower cholesterol, Cocoa Via chocolate bars are also fortified with nutrients like calcium, folic acid, B6, B12, C and E. The fruits and nuts in the bars make them a little something different, too.
• Adora – Sure, it has fifty percent of your daily recommended calcium, but that doesn’t mean that Adora tastes like it’s healthy. The smooth, rich chocolate comes in dark and milk flavors and will satisfy any sweet tooth in addition to strengthening bones.

• Jelly Bellys – They may be packed with sugar, but these Jelly Belly Beans are entirely fat free. Besides, is it healthier to eat an ice cream Sunday or a 9-calorie combination of  1 Vanilla 1 Chocolate Pudding  1 Banana jelly beans? Their Sport Beans have electrolytes that can help athletes rehydrate quickly.
• Black licorice – This may not be everyone’s cup of tea in terms of flavor, but licorice can help ease digestive pain and soothe sore throats. Some studies show that a compound found in licorice might even help prevent memory loss in old age.  
• Figamajigs – These chocolate bars are low fat and full of natural sugars and fiber, not to mention that they are coated in cark chocolate. Figamajigs are another pick from the Forbes list and deserve to be there. The chewy, almost raspberry flavored center is delish and the ratio of chocolate to filling is just right. They also come in a pseudo-M&M variety now!
• Gayle's Miracle Truffles - Recommended by everyone from the New York Times to Hungry Girl, Gayle's bite-sized treats come in four smooth and rich flavors, Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Mint and a new Raspberry Dark Chocolate. They have 90% less fat and up to 80% fewer calories than traditional truffles!
• Sharkies - No refined sugar and only organic ingredients go into fruity Sharkies gummy candies. They taste great in addition to having naturally occurring electrolytes for rehydration, and the lack of refined sugars helps minimize the energy crash that can follow high sugar consumption.
• Ginger People Ginger Chews - The Ginger People know a thing or two about ginger. It is delicious, soothes cramps, nausea and heartburn, among other things. The Ginger Chews are spicy and just sweet enough. They also have a dark chocolate covered candied ginger, which lends the antioxidants of chocolate to the health benefits of ginger.