Halloween and candy go together like witches and broomsticks, but if you’re watching your weight, all those spooky sweets could spell disaster for your diet.
While no type of candy is exactly healthy for you, some are certainly better for you than others. As we explained in our guide on dieting and weight loss, sugar is the number-one problem ingredient when it comes to losing weight and getting fit and healthy. So we’ve ranked 10 of the most popular Halloween candy based on the sugar content and calories of each, to help you indulge in the sweet stuff without hacking your diet.
1. Smarties
One roll of Smarties contains 6 grams of sugar and 25 calories. So if you’re looking to keep your sugar intake to a minimum, snacking on some Smarties is, well, a smart choice.
2. Jolly Ranchers
One Jolly Rancher contains 7 grams of sugar and 40 calories, making these candies a close second to Smarties in the healthiest Halloween candy game. But remember, that’s just one Rancher, so if you grab a handful, you’ll need to multiply these numbers.
3. Nerds
Mini boxes of Nerds are a Halloween favorite, and aren’t that bad for you, comparatively. One mini box contains 11 grams of sugar and 45 calories.
4. Tootsie Pops
Neck and neck with Nerds, one Tootsie Pop contains 10 grams of sugar and 60 calories. And the best part, you get two candies in one for those calories!
5. Laffy Taffy
Here, we start to climb the sugar ladder. One mini Laffy Taffy bar contains 19 grams of sugar and will set you back 140 calories.
To put this in perspective, the American Heart Associations recommends a daily sugar limit of 24 grams for women and 36 grams for men. So just two mini Laffy Taffys alone will be more than your daily limit of sugar!
6. Almond Joy
Surely these coconutty candies are somewhat healthy for you, right? Sadly, these tropical treats are neck and neck with Laffy Taffy, clocking in at 16 grams of sugar and 160 calories per snack-size bar.
7. Snickers
All that gooey goodness comes at a high price, to the tune of 17 grams of sugar and 160 calories for a fun-sized bar.
8. Skittles
Almost pure sugar, one fun-sized bag of skittles contains a whopping 34 grams of sugar and 190 calories.That’s an hour and ten minutes’ worth of leisurely walking to burn off!
9. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Although it contains slightly less sugar than Skittles at 22 grams, one snack-sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup will set you back 220 calories. And that’s if you can eat only one…
10. Twix
Whether you’re a Left Twix or a Right Twix fan, you’ll have to walk about 5 miles to burn the 250 calories contained in a single fun-sized bar of this Halloween favorite. And with 17 grams of sugar, these treats are extra sweet.
We hope this list will help you indulge wisely this Halloween, reminding yourself to balance sweet treats with healthy lifestyle choices so you can meet and maintain your fitness goals.
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