Valentine’s Day is typically filled with box boxes of chocolates and mountains of candy, but for anyone watching their figure this holiday can spell doom and gloom. After gorging on all those delicious sweet treats, the despair and self-loathing sets in, leaving one feeling less than sexy. Which is exactly the opposite of what we hope for on this special holiday.

So how can you show your loved one just how much you care while still satisfying that craving for sweet treats? Here are some healthy options for your sweetheart to show just how much you love them:

Dark Chocolate

If you are going to indulge in chocolate gifts this Valentine’s Day, make sure they are of the dark chocolate variety with a high cocoa content. Dark chocolate typically doesn’t contain as much artificial flavourings and colourants as other chocolate and is typically natural and organic without the addition of lots of sugar. You may also be surprised to discover that dark chocolate is also high in fibre. A small amount of dark chocolate eaten on a regular basis can actually lower your risk of heart disease!

 Snickers

While Snickers bars do have a high number of calories, this delicious bar is also packed full of protein. Snickers also has a lot less sugar than other chocolate bars and candies. Just be sure not to overindulge on these caramel, peanut bars of goodness. A small fun size bar is more than enough so consider a bag of smaller bars as a gift rather than one big bar!

Fruit Pastilles

Although these sugar-coated candy balls may look bad for you, they are actually one of the healthiest candies around. The right fruit pastilles are made from over 25% fruit juice and contain no additional flavourings, colours or preservatives. Again, less is more, so stick to gifting your Valentine tubes of fruit pastilles rather than a jumbo-sized bag!

Chocolate Coated Raisins

Chocolate coated raisins, and peanuts for that matter, are a healthier alternative to candy. The raisins give you fibre and vitamins, while the peanut option will be packed full of protein. However, once you get started on these little balls of yumminess it can be difficult to put them away so be sure to portion control when indulging on these treats with your loved one.

Mints

Believe it or not, mints are one of the healthiest candy options around. Mints are low in sugar, fat and calories and you aren’t really likely to eat the entire bag in one sitting, even when looking for the best online offers. That said, be careful of giving your dearest mints for Valentine’s Day – this is the most romantic of gifts after all!

Sour Candies

Sour candies typically have a lower sugar content than their sweet cousins, and with no fat their relatively healthy, as far as candies go. However, they are rated as one of the worst foods for your teeth due to the high acid content which can wear down the enamel of your teeth. Brush your teeth after eating sour candies to prevent this from happening.