Healthier Halloween candies

Candy does not have to mean anti-longevity.

Author

Erin Hunter
October 29, 2024

The Livelong Newsletter

image credit:freepik

Hi everyone,

🎃 I’m pump(kin)ed that Halloween is this week—let’s dive into the sweeter part of Trick-or-Treat.

In this article:

  • SUGAR!

  • Health(ier) candy options

  • Candy and health: a balancing act.

  • Trick-or-treat tips

The sugar scaries

image credit: freepik

Halloween is here. This could mean scary movie marathons or last minute purchases of princess costumes at pop-up stores. 

In my case, it’s walking my dog on the other side of the street, as he is afraid of a life-size skeleton that is temporarily on our traditional route 💀(rightfully so, I might add).

Similar to functional medicine, the Halloween experience is personalized to the individual.

But it's not the ghouls, goblins, and ghosts that scare some people—it’s the rows of colorful bags of candy lining grocery aisles.

Spooky season is the sweetest one

image credit: freepik

This year, 3.5 billion dollars will be spent on Halloween candy, and this figure is only projected to grow. 

Sweets are not healthy, but unlike skeletons and zombies, this fact is buried on Halloween night. 

While modest amounts of sugar and processed foods can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet, the Halloween statistics tell a different story.

Spooky Statistics 

  • The average trick-or-treater will eat 3 CUPS OF SUGAR on Halloween! 

  • That is 24 days’ worth of sugar in a single night (for ages 2-18).

  • 86% of parents may steal from their kids' candy stash. 

  • Parents may end up eating a third of their child’s candy.

What are healthier candy options?

Rather than dwell or swear off candy forever, learn how candy is best enjoyed during the spooky season.

For context, I am only referencing popular and conventional candies. There are healthy candy brands out there, but:

  • Candy marketed as ‘healthy’ is not accessible everywhere.

  • This is a holiday for kids and adults alike, so I want to stick with conventional options.

“Healthy” varies from source to source, but the rule of thumb is more sugar and saturated fat is worse.

On top of this, there is “absolutely no trans fats” in the healthiest candy bars, says Nutritionist Meredith Price in HuffPost.

‘Healthier’ candy options

  1. Ghirardelli 86% Cacao Dark Chocolate

  2. Snickers Bar

  3. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

  4. Peanut M&Ms

  5. York Peppermint Patties 

  6. Hershey’s Kisses Special Dark chocolates

  7. Blow Pop

  8. ? Mystery

Ghirardelli 86% Cacao Dark Chocolate

Even longevity experts ‘cheat’ with dark chocolate because it is rich in longevity-promoting flavanols and polyphenols, and it has more fiber too.

This brand of dark chocolate is stocked at most grocery stores and contains enough sweetness to feel like a treat (albeit a slightly more bitter treat, but nevertheless 🤷). 

Nutritional breakdown: 

  • 190 cal, 3g protein, 11g carbs, 4g fiber, 4g added sugars, 19g fat (11g sat fat), 0mg sodium

Snickers (fun-size) bar

Snickers are higher-calorie with more protein than other candies, according to nutritionist Amy Gorin, RDN, in an article in Everyday Health. While slightly higher in sugar, it is lower in saturated fat and can be enjoyed in moderation, says Price. 

Nutritional breakdown (minis):

  • 4g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 10g carbs, 9g sugar, 1g protein

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups 

Worldwide, Reese’s is one of the highest-grossing candy brands.

With a reasonably modest ingredient list and protein from the peanut butter, one cup is well within reason of dietary sugar recommendations from the American Heart Association.

Nutritional breakdown:

  • 6.5g fat, 2g saturated fat, 12g carbohydrate, 11g sugar, 2.5g protein

Peanut M&Ms

Rose Britt, a registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching, tells USA Today that Peanut M&Ms are the healthiest conventional treat. 

With less corn syrup than comparable candies, the peanuts also increase feelings of fullness, may curb overindulging, and contain healthy-aging protein.

Nutritional breakdown (fun size):

  • 90 calories, 2g saturated fat, 11g carbs, 9g of sugar; <1g of fiber, 2g of protein

York Peppermint Patties

York Peppermint Patties Miniatures are only 50 calories a serving, creating a light indulgence. With 0 trans fat and few ingredient concerns (based on EWG data), they can satisfy your sweet tooth.

Nutritional breakdown (x3 miniature patties): 

  • 150 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated), 33g carbs, 27g sugar, 50 mg sodium, 0g fiber, 1g protein

Hershey’s Kisses Special Dark Chocolates

“Dark chocolate has less sugar, is often dairy-free, and is rich in antioxidants that have been shown to reduce blood pressure and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease," says Jodi Danen, RD, in Women’s Health. 

She recommends Kisses as a clean(er) candy option and, at 7 Kisses/serving, you can portion down without the sacrifice.

Nutritional breakdown (x7 kisses):

  • 150 calories, 6g ​​saturated fat, 0mg sodium, 20g carbs, 2g fiber, 17g sugar, 2g protein

Blow Pop

This is one of the best non-chocolate candy options. Blow Pops takes longer to enjoy, especially since gum is the final reward and has less sugar than other candy options, says Gorin in Everyday Health.

Nutritional breakdown:

  • 70 calories, 0g fat (0g saturated fat), 17g carbohydrate, 13g sugar, 0g protein

Mystery

SMARTIES! This surprised me. I’ve always thought they were the most sugar-y candy on planet earth, as sugar is the predominant flavor; yet at a meager 6 grams per pack, Smarties have bang for your buck, according to USA Today.

Nutritional breakdown:

  • 25 calories, 6g sugar, 0g sodium, 0g fat

Moderation in all things

For most healthy adults, eating a modest amount candy is not “unhealthy” and will not take you off the path for a long life—labelling it as ‘bad’ might be.

Seeing a food as good or bad can victimize it and lead to unhealthy beliefs about eating. In effect, banning foods can wrongly make you feel like you ‘failed’ at a healthy lifestyle, according to the British Heart Foundation.

  • Avoiding a food can also increase cravings that lead you to overindulge.

That said, candy and less nutritious foods “[don’t] need to be included as part of our regular eating pattern,” BHF writes. 

“The best candy choice is the one you can eat and enjoy in moderation,” says Mia Syn, RDN in Everyday Health.

Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] with any comments or questions.

⥥

Trick-or-Treat Tips with kiddos

Help the kiddos enjoy the fun without eating 3 cups of sugar.

  • Eat a nutritious dinner with plenty of fiber and protein for sustained energy, fewer blood sugar spikes, and fullness.

  • Set boundaries. It’s OK to let the kiddos “go crazy” on Halloween night, Britt says. Setting a 1-2 piece/night candy allowance in the weeks ahead is a good idea.

  • Hydrate after eating sugar. Hydration helps flush sugar from the system.

  • 🐈‍ Stealthily eat from their loot. (Gotcha! That’s a trick!) Although snagging a piece or two is a time-honored tradition.

LIVELONG BOOKSHELF • Fall ‘24 🍁

Top longevity books for fall 2024

The value of taking care of yourself now means being healthy for your entire life. That’s why we curated a list of the best books on longevity. Kickstart your path to health and vitality this fall.

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🔛 What’s next?

We can’t wait to cover more trending topics in longevity in our next newsletter. Stay tuned.

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