Halloween is just around the corner and that spells candy galore.
Even if you don’t go trick-or-treating, the reality is that most of us won’t have the discipline to abstain from guilty pleasures. And while it’s OK to occasionally indulge in treats, the problem lies when one turns to two, and two turns to…well, you get the idea. Not all candy is created equal!
Did you know, for instance, that even small bites of chocolate bars tend to be higher in calories from fat than pops and chews? I’m not saying any of these are healthy, as all contain sugar and empty calories.
However, if you’re trying to be smart about calories, fat and sugar intake, check out this list below on better and worse candy.
Worse
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: At 105 calories per cup, 50 of them from fat, you get to enjoy the milk chocolate with all the calories, plus calories from fat.
Mounds Snack Size: 1 bar = 80 calories (40 calories from fat); 4.5 g total fat.
Almond Joy Snack Size: 1 bar = 80 calories; 40 calories from fat (4.5 g total fat).
Kit Kat Snack Size Bars: 3 pieces (42 g) = 210 calories; 90 calories from fat (11 g total fat).
Better
Twizzlers: About 40 calories per full-sized piece.
Swedish Fish: who doesn’t like a candy that’s shaped like a fish? Just 50 calories for 8 pieces makes them a smart catch.
Dum Dum Pops: 3 lollipops = 59 calories; 0 fat
Starburst Original Fruit Chews: 9 pieces = 150 calories; 0 fat
Werther’s Originals: This classic hard candy has 70 calories in 3 pieces and it takes a long time to eat just one making it hard to consume many at once.
Tootsie Rolls: 6 tootsie rolls (40 g) = 140 calories (30 calories from fat); 3 g total fat;
Brach’s Candy Corn: 26 pieces = 150 calories; 0 fat
Jolly Rancher Hard Candy: 3 candies = 70 calories; 0 fat
Peeps Marshmallow Pumpkins: 8 pumpkins = 130 calories,0 fat
York Snack Size Peppermint Patties:1 mini patty = 50 calories; 1g fat
And there are several alternatives to passing out candy on Halloween:
• Halloween stickers
• Gift certificates
• Rubber balls (not the mini ones, as these are a choking hazard)
• Party favours
• Coloured pencils
• Raisins packets
• Key chains
• Glow sticks
• Creepy spider rings
• Play-Doh, or any type of small toy.
