Avoiding Halloween Horror: The Nutrition Edition

  Halloween is fast approaching, and with that comes plenty of chocolate,candy, and sugar filled treats to indulge in!  It may not be a Halloween horror,  but don’t be fooled, those tiny treats can pack a ton of sugar and calories!  It seems so easy to eat a bunch of the ‘mini’ candy bars in one sitting – and after doing some research into the actual caloric/fat/sugar content of these…a new sense of ‘scary’ comes to mind!

On the scary list:

  • Butterfinger (mini): 100 calories, 4g fat, 10g sugar
  • Reeses (mini): 80 calories, 4.5g fat, 7g sugar
  • Mini packs of Skittles contain 15g sugar

Some better options:

  • Three Musketeers (mini): 60 calories, 2g fat, 10g sugar
  • Kit Kat (mini): 73 calories, 3.5g fat, 6.5g sugar

Some Random Favourites

  • 3 Hershey’s Kisses: 67 calories, 4g fat
  • 1 Original Tootsie roll : 26 calories, 0.5g fat
  • 10 Starburst Fruit Chews: 204 calories,4g fat
  • Caramels (4 pieces): 160 calories, 4.5g fat,16 g sugars

 

Some Tips to Help Curb those Cravings…

  • If you are handing out candy this Halloween and find yourself eating half the stash, unable to resist… a great tip is to buy a chocolate/candy brand that isnt your favourite to give to trick or treaters – you’ll be less likely to go overboard!
  • Make sure you are eating enough during the day! If you prepare a delicious meal which is both satisfying and nutritious, chances are you won’t binge eat your entire home or office candy supply!
  • Try to buy your Halloween candy as close to Halloween as you can to avoid temptation before the night comes!

Whether you are keeping watch of what your own children are bringing home after trick-or-treating, or you find yourself reaching into the candy bowl a little too often, remember – it’s not necessarily about completely cutting off those delicious little treats, but always keep in mind what is going into the body and then enjoy in moderation!  Try going for an extra run, a longer workout at the gym, or whatever gets your heartrate up to work off any over-indulgences.