Dr. Rob America’s Fitness Doctor® – Best and Worst Choices for Halloween Candy
Ok, so it’s Halloween and your children’s trick-or-treat bags are loaded with candy, but which ones will cause the least damage to their health? While there is no such thing as “healthy” candy, consumed in moderation they can enjoy some treats without compromising their health. There are choices you can make to limit the sugar and calorie overload and just maybe get them to settle down after a night of hob-gob-lining this All Hallows’ Eve.
Candy Corn: A lot of sugar here in these syrupy kernels, just one handful is a serious overload. I personally would pass on these colorful sugary treats.
Laffy Taffy: Not really a great choice because of the double whammy here chewy-sticky and sour, which means highly acidic and can break down tooth enamel quickly. If you do eat these drink water afterwards to help clean teeth and wait at least 30 minutes to brush your teeth so as to not brush the acid into the tooth surface and cause enamel erosion.
Starburst® Fun Size Fruit Chews: one pack is 40 calories with 6 grams of sugar. While they may taste great I am always concerned about chewy, sticky sweets as they easily get stuck in between teeth and are difficult to get out and cause tooth decay. Instead of chewing these, try sucking on them. They last a long time that way and don’t get stuck in your teeth.
Tootsie Roll®: 2 pieces of this American classic are less than 50 calories with 7 grams of sugar. Love’em but they are sticky.
Smarties®: Enjoy these one at a time and relax they are only 25 calories a roll!
Skittles®: Fun size packs of lemon, lime, grape, strawberry, and orange are 60 calories with only 11 grams of sugar. I have trouble just eating one little bag of these!
Lollipops: I really like these because they tend to last longer and so they satisfy easily without the enormous calorie or sugar impact. One is about 20 calories.
Tootsie Roll® Pops: One of my favorites because they tend to last longer and so they satisfy easily without the enormous calorie or sugar impact. One is about 60 calories and they last forever! “How Many Licks?”
Hershey’s Kisses®: Who doesn’t love kisses! Chocolate or otherwise! 2 of the fun chocolates are less than 50 calories!! Definitely one of my favorites!
Gourmet Jelly Beans: about 15 of these flavorful treats are only 70 calories of fun! Remember these for Easter.
Hershey® Miniature Chocolates: 2 of these delicious chocolates are only 42 calories and 8 grams of sugar. Another winner with Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate.
M & M® fun size packs: about 90 calories per pack with 9 grams of sugar. My friend Shaun T creator of Insanity loves these and so do I, especially with peanuts!
Teddy Grahams® Fun Size Packs: 60 calories and 3 grams of sugar. Who doesn’t like a graham cracker!
Welch’s® Fruit Snack Fun Size: one fun size pack is 45 calories with 6 grams of sugar. Preservative free, fat free, gluten free with vitamins A, C, and E.
Organic Dark Chocolate Minis: Loaded with antioxidants 4 minis are about 100 calories with 8 grams of sugar. Eating an appropriate amount of dark chocolate every day can be beneficial to our health. Generally speaking, there are four benefits of dark chocolate. Heart protection, appetite control, regulation of the digestive system, and boosting of the immune system.
Organic Apples: While this is not candy it is most definitely the overall winner! Come on now, you know the saying! It’s true. An apple a day keeps the doctor away! One of the best foods you can eat to help encourage weight loss and improve your health is an apple. Apples are a low-sugar fruit that contain a substance called pectin, which aids in digestion and helps lower cholesterol. Apples help to decrease the risk of many diseases. The act of eating an apple is involved, you have to slow down to eat and chew which sends signals to the brain that an adequate source of food is being consumed. Absolutely the winner for best Halloween treats!
“Fitness is the Footprint of Life. Follow It!”
Dr. Rob Kominiarek, America’s Fitness Doctor™
