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Just because we outgrow trick-or-treating doesn’t mean that as adults we stop eating candy around Halloween.
In fact, between coworkers, your kid’s candy haul, and buying too much for trick-or-treaters, chances are you’re surrounded by the temptation of Halloween candy.
Unless you have impressive self-control, you may be wondering how to satisfy your candy cravings while staying within your health goals.
I’ve got some tips and tricks for making healthier choices at (and around) Halloween, including a brief comparison of popular candy options.
7 Tips for making Healthier Choices around Halloween
1. Stick with mini versions.
Let’s start with the obvious one first. Most candies come in a variety of sizes from mini or bite-sized all the way up to king-sized. But how different are they actually in terms of calories? Let’s take a look at a Snickers bar:
- Min/bite-sized: 44 calories, 4.5 grams of sugar
- Fun-sized: 84 calories, 9 grams of sugar
- Regular: 280 calories, 29 grams of sugar
- King-sized: 555 calories, 57 grams of sugar
While fun-sized bars have nearly twice as many calories and sugar as the mini’s, both are less than 100 calories and have less than 10 grams of sugar.
If you can limit yourself to one, then the fun-sized bar may be worth the extra calories. But if you need two to feel satisfied, stick with the minis.
2. Keep candy out of sight and out of mind.
As festive as a bowl of candy can be, research has shown that when candy is easily visible, you end up eating more of it. To help keep mindless munching at bay, store your Halloween candy in the pantry or in a cupboard.
3. Donate extras.
Rather than having bags of extra candy at home tempting you, there are several charities that will happily take those candy bags off your hands, such as Treats for Troops. Of course, you can also call your local food pantries, nursing homes, and homeless shelters.
4. Make healthier homemade versions.
Have a favorite candy but don’t love the ingredients in it? Try making your own healthier versions at home. Not only does this give you full control over the ingredients and amount of sugar, but it can also be a fun activity to do with kids. Check out our favorite recipe for dark chocolate peanut butter cups. (Psst: They’re better than the store-bought kind!)
5. Be choosy.
Let’s get real. Most of us have one or two favorite candies. So rather than filling up on candy that you don’t really care about, select your favorites and eat mindfully enjoying every bite and flavor.
6. Consider healthier brands.
With increasing health awareness, there are several brands out there making healthier versions of candy classics. Check out Smart Sweets, Mini Kind Bars, Yum Earth, and Unreal Snacks.
7. Candy isn’t the same as a meal or snack.
It can be tempting to count a candy bar as a meal or snack, but it’s still important to honor your hunger with a well-balanced meal.
Nutrition stats of popular candies
While you can search for your favorite candy on the Lose It! App, let’s take a look at how some of the most popular candies in America stack up nutritionally. For a more comprehensive candy guide, click here!
- 3 Musketeers: 65 calories; 10 grams sugar
- Almond Joy: 91 calories; 9 grams sugar
- Butterfinger: 96 calories; 10 grams sugar
- Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars: 67 calories; 8 grams sugar
- Kit-Kat Bar: 78 calories; 7 grams sugar
- M&M’s: 89 calories; 12 grams sugar
- Milky way: 78 calories; 10 grams sugar
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup: 77 calories; 7 grams sugar
- Skittles: 81 calories; 15 grams sugar
- Snickers: 84 calories; 9 grams sugar
