Ramblings of a Non-Native Texan

The Mars company has unveiled a new chocolate: Fling.

The LA Times Blog describes the candy as a truffle filling on top of a crisp meringue layer, with the whole thing covered in chocolate that shimmers (thanks to an edible mineral). The bars are 80 calories each and come in a bright pink wrapper… Gee, I wonder who the target market is??

Sure enough, Mars admits that they were targeting women who wanted to be “indulgent yet also permissive” when eating chocolate. For some reason, that line cracks me up. If you’re indulging yourself with chocolate, doesn’t that mean you’re also permitting yourself to eat it? Or are there women out there who unwrap chocolate bars and then just sit and smell them, indulging the urge to be near chocolate but not permitting themselves to actually consume it?

I think what Mars is getting at is that they wanted to make something that’s chocolatey and decadent but that doesn’t come across as “diet chocolate.” Those 100-calorie packs and tiny chocolate sticks out there that pack just a few calories apiece are nice, and they might be good for quieting the occasional chocolate craving, but the women who eat those healthier-than-the-real-thing treats would almost always rather have a full-sized, full-fat, full-delicious candy bar. In fact, evidence suggests that 100-calorie packs, which were designed on the premise that we humans are incapable of our own portion control (and which are priced more per unit accordingly), are not particularly good for us because they still contain over-processed sugary and salty snacks, just in smaller doses (which aren’t enough to fill up most people). Some say that 100-calorie packs are basically a license to overeat, because people eat more when they think what they’re eating is healthy (check out this article at MSN Health and Fitness for more info). The emphasis should instead be on feeling fuller longer and really dealing with cravings in a healthy manner, rather than imposing portion control through packaging.

But I digress.

Fling sounds delicious, and even though it’s only offered in California so far, I’m looking forward to its wider distribution. In fact, the Shopping Blog has a link to Fling’s website so that the bars can be ordered if you don’t want to wait for your local store to stock them. This is the first new brand from Mars in 20 years, and so far, the reception has been good. Maybe women were really craving a new option for their chocolate obsessions… Maybe it’s just a better chocolate bar than what’s already out there. As an unrepentant chocoholic, I’m eager to give it a try. Or as the name suggests, have a “fling” with something new, different and indulgent.