Halloween Candy: Best & Worst

Halloween is scary… sure there’s the witches, goblins and ghosts but the real fright should be in the abundance of mini candy bars everywhere! From the candy bowl at the dry cleaners & the office to the secret stash at home you promised yourself is just for the trick or treaters… these tiny bites wreak havoc on all of your best diet intentions. I’ve ranked these little guys below based on calorie counts, but first of all let me share my 3 golden rules for Halloween candy:

Halloween Candy 3 Golden Rules

1. Purge the excess.  Give away excess candy – just keep absolute favorites. Visit HalloweenCandyBuyBack.com to find local dentists who participate in a candy exchange for cash or other gifts. The candy is sent to US troops overseas.
2. Portion your treats. Aim to eat less than 150 calories of sweets per day. So that’s only 1-2 pieces.
3. Place out of sight. Research shows when candy is out of sight, we eat less of it. Don’t keep it in clear containers or in a candy bowl on your desk. Instead stash it in a brown bag hidden away.

Mini-Candy Bars: Best & Worst

Fruity

Best: Starburst (2-pack; 40 calories) or Laffy Taffy (32 calories)

Chocolate Balls

Worst: Whoppers (100 calories)

Best: Milk Duds (53 calories)

Chocolate with Crunch

Worst: M&M’s (90 calories)

Best: Nestlé Crunch (60 calories)

Nutty Chocolate

Worst: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup (just 1; 110 calories)

Best: Hershey’s with Almonds (73 calories)

Minty Chocolate

Worst: Jr. Mints (box; 80 calories)

Best: York Peppermint Patty (50 calories)

Lowest Calorie Options:

- Sugar Free Gum (<5 calories)

- Miniature Tootsie Pop (17 calories)

- Midgets Tootsie Roll (23 calories)

- Smarties (25 calories)

- Hershey Kiss (25 calories)

To learn more about Dawn Jackson Blatner, visit www.dawnjacksonblatner.com or follow her on Twitter @djblatner.