Who does not love peanut M&M‘s? From kids to adults, we all love them! Be it Halloween or secretly munching on them when sitting in a boring classroom and sharing it with your friends is a different feeling and a risky adventure worth taking.
Many people, especially those who are parents, have asked this question: “They have peanuts. Does it make them healthy?”
This article will help in analyzing and finding the answer. Let’s get cracking.
Ingredient Analysis
We shall now do an ingredient analysis.
A packet of peanut M&M‘s contains:
| Peanuts | Glucose Syrup | Salt |
| Sugar | Skimmed Milk Powder | Flavoring |
| Cocoa Mass | Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin) | Milk Chocolate contains Milk Solids of 14% minimum |
| Full Cream Milk Powder | Lactose | Milk Chocolate contains Vegetable Fats in addition to Cocoa Butter |
| Cocoa Butter | Stabiliser (Gum Arabic) | Palm Kernel Oil |
| Starch | Shea Fat | Glazing Agent (Carnauba Wax) |
| Palm Fat | Milk Fat | Dextrin |
| S. No. | Criteria | Peanut M&M’s |
| 1. | Whole ingredients | Yes |
| 2. | Artificial ingredients | Yes |
| 3. | Level of Processing | High |
| 4. | Harmful ingredients | No |
| 5. | Carbs to Fibre Ratio | (17/1) |
| 6. | Glycemic index | Low (33) |
Colors
They contain the following artificial colors:
- BLUE 2 LAKE
- BLUE 1 LAKE
- RED 40
- YELLOW 6 LAKE
- YELLOW 5 YELLOW 6
- BLUE 1
- YELLOW 5 LAKE
- BLUE 2
- RED 40 LAKE
If consumed in normal quantities, these colors are not harmful to your health. The colors have shown zero negative effects on the human body.
The dyes do not cause major health hazards, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Nutritional Info Analysis
| S. No. | Head | Nutritional Facts per Serving (28g) | Nutritional Facts per Pack (252g) |
| 1. | Calories | 140 | 1260 |
| 2. | Fat | 8 g | 72 g |
| 3. | Sodium | 15 mg | 0.135 g |
| 4. | Carbohydrate | 17 g | 153 g |
| 5. | Dietary Fibre | 1 g | 9 g |
As you can see, peanut M&M‘s are very high in calories.
Allergy Alert
Many people across the globe are allergic to peanuts. A peanut one contains the following ingredients that can cause an allergic reaction:
- Almonds,
- Hazelnuts,
- Milk,
- Peanuts,
- Soya,
- Other nuts
Caution for people who are allergic to nuts.
Product Suitability:
Based on the above-detailed analysis, we can easily conclude for whom this product is suitable.
| S. No. | Suitable for | Peanut M&M‘s | Peanut Mix M&M‘s |
| 1. | Vegans | No | No |
| 2. | Diabetes | No | No |
| 3. | Vegetarian | Yes | Yes |
| 4. | Keto | No | No |
| 5. | Gluten-Free | Yes | Yes |
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Peanut M&M‘s include potassium, calcium, salt, and sugar, all of which aid in the recovery of athletes’ bodies by keeping them hydrated and storing energy.
- Gives you energy.
- No MSG and has a low glycemic index.
Cons
- M&M‘s are just sugar and food coloring. Chocolate has the most sugar, but sweets contain added sugar and corn syrup. M&M‘s don’t have much fiber, so their sugar reaches your system rapidly.
- Peanuts can be allergic to many.
- Food coloring is just chemicals in other forms.
Verdict: Are Peanut M&M’s Healthy?
To conclude, peanut M&M‘s are not that healthy, but they are healthier than most candies available in the market. It is a better alternative when you crave candies.
It is best advised to eat it in less quantity.
FAQs
1. Why is M&M’s not vegan?
It consists of lactose, skimmed milk, milk chocolate (cocoa, sugar, butter, etc.), and other milk-related products.
2. Are there any alternatives for vegans?
Here are the vegan alternatives to M&M‘s:
- No Whey! Foods
These are milk-like chocolate treats that contain no milk. No Whey! Foods version of M&M’s is available on Amazon.
- Unreal
Vegans can try Unreal Dark Chocolate Peanut Gems and Unreal Dark Chocolate Crispy Quinoa Gems. They are organically colored with vegetables and include no artificial ingredients.
3. Are M&M’s with peanut butter vegan?
M&M’s with peanut butter is not vegan, although there are vegan substitutes, such as Unreal Dark Chocolate Peanut Gems.
If you’re curious about the health aspects of Peanut M&M’s, you might also wonder if Mott’s Fruit Snacks are healthy.
