The Top 10 Best (and Worst) Halloween Candy

OK, so there’s no pretending – candy is NOT healthy and inherently not good for you. That said, candy is a Halloween ritual and while there may be no real healthy answer, you should know the Good from the Bad. Keeping in mind that “Good” in this instance is a relative term…

The following is a list of some of the best and worst to expect from your children’s bag of treats:

1. Good – Life Savers

These hard candies have just 45 cals per 4 pieces, and they are a “slow sucker”.

2. Good – M&Ms

A typical Halloween package has only 90 cals worth of delight. If you get the peanut version, there is some additional protein benefit. There are also some benefits to the dark chocolate variety.

3. Good – Rockets

Rockets are the Retro candy of Halloween. These chalky little sugar cakes are only 30 cals per roll. I guess they have not been affected by inflation???

4. Good – Tootsie Pops

If you are old enough to remember the commercials, it may clue you in as to why these treats can be considered “good”. It still takes a long time to get to the centre. After you have taken your licks, it is still only a 60 cal treat.

5. Good – Chocolate and/or Yogurt-Covered Raisins

Raisins may live high on the glycemic index; but, ¼ cup is still a single serving of fruit.

1. Bad – Candy Corn

A single serving of 22 of these little sugar treats has 140 cals. The real problem is that they don’t come in serving sizes. It is too easy to go back for seconds!

2. Bad – Twix

These have a similar calorie count to other candy bars. The problem here is the 7 grams of saturated fat in the smaller, Halloween sized, pack. The full-sized bar is even worse!

3. Bad – Skittles

One pack of these rainbow raindrops has 230 cals. What’s more concerning is the 46 grams of sugar (the equivalent of 10 teaspoons). These treats will get you well acquainted with your family dentist.

4. Bad – Twizzlers

These may be the epitome of soft and chewy yumminess, but just 4 strands packs 21 grams of sugar.

5. Bad – Nerds

Not all hard candy is created equal. Nerds may seem harmless…but don’t be fooled. Even though a single serving has 14 grams of sugar and only 60 cals, if you dig a little deeper, you will discover that a single serving is only 1 tablespoon! A package of these sugar tyrants is many times larger than that.

A little extra sugar once per year won’t kill you and can very easily be burned off with an extra training session at One Health Clubs!