Social media has become a modern alternative to cookbooks, allowing people to easily access hundreds of recipes, some healthier than others.
The latest DIY snack taking over TikTok involves Kool-Aid—an artificially flavored powdered drink—sugar, and pineapple.
On the video-sharing platform, people are showing how they give pineapple spears a bright red, blue, or neon pink color, creating a sweet treat that looks anything but nutritious.
Highlights
- The “Kool-Aid pineapple” snack is going viral on TikTok, with people remarking that the brightly colored pineapple spears look “radioactive.”
- The recipe contains Kool-Aid, an unsweetened, artificially flavored powder, as well as sugar and pineapple.
- Caroline Young, a licensed dietitian, explained whether people should be worried about the viral snack.
Image credits: Imeatingshhhhh
Amid the conversation surrounding the viral snack, an expert has told Bored Panda whether “Kool-Aid pineapple” is as alarming as people make it out to be.
To create the viral snack, it’s as easy as taking fresh or jarred pineapple spears, mixing the pineapple juice with Kool-Aid powder and sugar, pouring it back into the container, and shaking it.
After 8 to 24 hours, the fruit absorbs the colorful mix and becomes sweeter than before.
Image credits: Imeatingshhhhh
According to Dexerto, the candy-like snack has grown in popularity to the point where people are selling Kool-Aid pineapples at food trucks and pop-up stalls in Florida.
Others are reportedly offering $150 “masterclasses” on how to prepare the snack, along with business tips on how to profit from the trend.
A step-by-step video on how to make Kool-Aid pineapple posted by a TikTok user whose handle is @imeatingshhhhh has amassed over 10 million views on the platform.
In the comments, a viewer shared that a vendor in their neighborhood was selling each jar for $20-25, even though the snack cost $10 or less to make.
Image credits: Polymarket
“Recipes in America be like: sugar covered in sugar, fried in sugar, with sugar, sugar,” one viewer joked.
A concerned viewer said the snack looked “radioactive.”
“I just made mine, just waiting for them to soak now,” shared a third user, while a fourth asked, “Why do people keep adding more sugar!???”
Image credits: Flavorbymello
Dexerto reported that a full jar of the sweet treat can contain roughly 320 to 350 grams of total sugar.
For reference, the American Heart Association recommends no more than 36 grams (9 teaspoons) of added sugar per day for men and 25 grams (6 teaspoons) for women.
While Kool-Aid powder contains no sugar, the sugar added to the mixture and the sugar already present in most canned pineapple sold at supermarkets are enough to push those guidelines well past the limit.
Still, as licensed dietitian Caroline Young explained, the best diet is one that is balanced and realistic. Like other treats, the Kool-Aid pineapple snack is not a concern if consumed in moderation.
Image credits: Uncledoomer
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a high-sugar snack or dessert, as long as you ensure your overall diet includes other more nutritious foods,” Young said.
“In fact, allowing yourself to have the sugary food you want is better than restricting it, which can lead to binging or overdoing it later.”
The US Department of Agriculture recommends filling half your plate with fruits/vegetables, one-quarter with whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal, whole-grain pasta) and one-quarter with protein (meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs).
Image credits: Scubaryan_
Young advised eating the viral snack with a source of protein or fat—like cheese or nuts—to help slow digestion, noting that this can lead to a steadier blood sugar increase.
The owner of Whole Self Nutrition also pointed out that the viral snack’s main ingredient is fruit, which is highly nutritious.
“Even if fruit is eaten with a less nutritious food or beverage, it still provides fiber, carbs, vitamin C, and other essential nutrients,” she explained.
The dietitian concluded with a message to anyone who, despite having no health issues, may be afraid to try the snack or may view certain foods as “forbidden.”
“Food is meant to be enjoyed and pleasure is an important part of eating and health,” Young said.
“Being afraid of sugar and avoiding it is actually worse for your health than letting yourself have some.”
Problems arise when an excessive sugar intake leads to weight gain, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, dental cavities, and other health issues associated with high sugar consumption.
Common sources of added sugar include soft drinks, fruit drinks, flavored yogurts, cereals, cookies, candy, and most processed foods.
Glucose can still be acquired from fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, which provide important nutritional benefits to the body.
Caroline Dobbs, a sugar-obsessed influencer, recently attempted a “no sugar challenge" and revealed the result to her followers. She was surprised to see that her skin had cleared significantly, a result that reflects studies linking high sugar consumption to accelerated skin aging.