Is marshmallow actually healthy? Is that true or just marketing?
Well, that's a twist - I always thought marshmallow was a sweet you should avoid eating. What kind of benefit could there even be? Or is this something to do with what's in it?
5 answers
Don't expect it to be some miracle sweet - marshmallow is still candy, and you shouldn't overeat it. But if you compare it to chocolate or cookies, marshmallow really is lower in calories and often contains no fat. Plus, it's basically whipped egg whites and gelatin at its core, which does have some nutritional value. The real question is how much of it you eat, not whether it's actually good for you.
Ever actually compared what's inside it? Marshmallow is 80% air, so it has like three times fewer calories than chocolate of the same weight - that's the whole "benefit," just physics. Yeah, there's protein from gelatin or agar, but that doesn't make it a healthy product, just less harmful than a lot of other sweets.
mihaylov2005 asker
Got it, thanks for the detailed answer. So it's more about less harm than actual benefit. That makes sense.
When I put marshmallow in my tea, I don't feel any guilt - I get that it really is low in calories and has no fat, like people already mentioned. But calling it "healthy" still seems weird to me: it's basically sugar and gelatin first and foremost, just very airy sugar. If you eat marshmallow rarely and in moderation, there's no real harm, but if it's a pack every day, then it's just a way to eat more sugar while fooling yourself that it's light.
Marshmallow is neither a harmful sweet nor health food - it's just something in between. I used to buy it instead of cookies with tea and I really did notice that I'd get full on less of it, because it's so airy, but there's just as much sugar in it as in any other candy. So there's no miracle here - it's just a convenient way to eat fewer calories if you're watching your weight, but calling it healthy is silly.
I wouldn't call it healthy, but it really does come in handy if you want something sweet without a calorie bomb - I have this habit of taking marshmallows with me to the dacha instead of other snacks. The main thing is to check the ingredients so there aren't any hidden fats or trans fats: some manufacturers throw all kinds of stuff in there, even though marshmallows are supposed to be basically just sugar and air.
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