The candied chestnut has an interesting nutritional profile. Although sweet, it is not an “empty calorie” and retains many of the nutrients and health benefits of the chestnut.
It’s definitely the fanciest holiday candy. And it is good for your health! Candied chestnut is not an “empty calorie”, immediately corrects Dr Jean-Michel Lecerf, head of the nutrition department at the Pasteur Institute in Lille. It has a real “nutritional density”: “Even in a confectionery, the presence of the fruit brings a “baggage” of minerals that are not found in a chemical candy“. The candied chestnut is a chestnut immersed in a vanilla sugar syrup for several days and covered with a thin film of icing sugar which gives it a shiny and crunchy appearance on the surface.
It offers the advantage of having a good potassium content: it contains approximately 54 mg/100g according to Ciqual de l’Anses. This mineral makes artery walls less stiff and helps relax muscles, which is essential for maintaining healthy blood pressure. It is also an excellent source of manganese, a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from oxidative stress and contributes to bone strength. A single candied chestnut can cover around 15% of the recommended daily intake of manganese.
The candied chestnut contains starch from the fruit, mixed with the sugar in the syrup. This allows a slightly less brutal distribution of energy than pure sugar, even if the glycemic index remains high. For example, it is appreciated by athletes for a quick recharge before or after exercise. For comparison, a candied chestnut contains 60 calories compared to 75 for a Ferrero Rocher, it is twice as sweet but 50 times less fatty than this famous chocolate. The candied chestnut remains a pleasure which provides more minerals than a classic candy, but it must be consumed in moderation due to its high sugar content.
For a healthy adult, “no problem” consumption is generally around 1 or 2 candied chestnuts per day. It is best to eat it at the end of a meal or as a snack: the fiber from the meal or from a fruit taken at the same time will slow down the absorption of sugar and avoid the insulin “peak”. If you eat 2 candied chestnuts, try reducing your portion of starchy foods (bread, rice, pasta) at the next meal or eliminating the usual dessert to balance it out.
Accompany it with a sugar-free tea or infusion: the contrast between the bitterness of the tea and the sugar of the chestnut helps you feel full more quickly. If you suffer from diabetes or if you are monitoring your blood sugar, candied chestnuts should be consumed very exceptionally (only 1 at a time) because its glycemic index is high due to the candy syrup.
