I fondly remember many kinds of candies from my childhood. And while you want to minimize your children's (and your) intake of sweets, you don't want to deprive them of the joy of eating candies altogether. Besides watching how much candy our children, Liam and Gleannan, eat, being vegan, my wife Lynn and I also have to monitor what candy they consume. So many candies contain animal ingredients, such as gelatin.

Recently our family tried some of St. Claire's Organic Sweets from EcoNatural Solutions, Inc. Founded by master herbalist Debra St. Claire in 1993, EcoNatural Solutions, Inc. produces sweets without animal by-products or refined sugars. St. Claire's Organic Sweets are not only vegan, but they are also certified organic, wheat and gluten-free, dairy and casein-free, corn, soy and egg-free, peanut and tree nut-free, fish and shell fish-free, gelatin-free and even GMO (genetically-modified organisms)-free. Their sweets also do not contain artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. The flavors are made from essences of the actual plant. The sweeteners used aren't refined sugars but certified organic molasses granules and evaporated cane juice.

Lynn and I, along with Liam and Gleannan, tried several of St. Claire's Organic Sweets. Their Organic Tarts Collection was very good and it was a particular hit with Gleannan. These "naturally sweet" candies are packed with flavor and are available in: peach, green apple, cherry, guava, watermelon, tangerine, lime, raspberry, lemon and grape. I like the small .48 oz. boxes as they hold a reasonable amount of candy.

I really enjoyed the "Organic Mints Collection" which features wintermints (my favorite), peppermints and spearmints. More than 100 mints come in a 1.5 oz. tin. Other candies available in tins are cherry sweets, licorice sweets (which are awesome), cinnamon snaps, ginger snaps and lemon tarts.

Wanting to preserve "the medicinal plant knowledge of indigenous cultures," Debra St. Claire created the EthnoMedicine Preservation Project (EMPP). This non-profit international organization "preserves the medicinal plant knowledge of indigenous cultures" and is currently working in the Amazon Basin of Peru. EMPP is supported by the sales of St. Claire's Organic Sweets so not only are you getting exceptional candy, but you're supporting a very important project at the same time!

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