Today’s Solutions: April 13, 2026

Being a vegan and a candy-lover isn’t so easy. Many of the most popular sweets are made from animal-derived products such as gelatin, an ingredient that has long been hard to replace.

The good news is that candy producers are developing new ways to ditch gelatin, with the latest being the famous candy company Jelly Belly. Recently, Jelly Belly launched a vegan candy gummy that is shaped like a jelly belly, but that replaces the gelatin with tapioca and minimal artificial coloring. The vegan gummies come in two versions: original and sour.

Jelly Belly isn’t the only one producing gelatin-free sweets: The brand Smart Sweets just released a new line of vegan candy modeled after Starbursts, except they’re far healthier, containing only three grams of sugar.

We know we should be pointing you in the direction of healthier sweets such as dried fruit, but since it’s the holiday season, we’ll allow you to indulge in some sugary sweets—just choose the gelatin-free varieties if you must!

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Smartphone test detects water contamination in under a minute

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM After a flood, a pipe break, or a contamination event, one of the most pressing questions is also ...

Read More

The low-effort way to build real connection: finding your third place

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Most people have two main places: home and work. The idea that you need a third sounds obvious ...

Read More

A four day workweek? 10 reasons it’s a great idea

While enduring the global pandemic, many of us have had the chance to reassess our values and goals for our lives. This has set ...

Read More

3 free longevity hacks for a longer life

There are a lot of habits that we can incorporate into our day-to-day lives that will help us extend our time on this earth. ...

Read More