8 Healthiest Halloween Treats

By : Jodie Shield | 0 Comments | On : October 23, 2015 | Category : Adults, Kids, Teens

The Regret-Free Halloween Candy List

By: Jodie Shield, MEd, RDN

Halloween is a scary holiday for us health and fitness fans. It’s torture being surrounded by gooey chocolate and creamy caramel – lookout hips, thighs and buns of steel. No need to be spooked this year. Check out my tricks for eating Halloween treats without packing on frightening pounds. Then sink your fangs into my boo-tiful list of regret-free candy.

Tricks . . .

Max out on minis. Forget supersizing, Halloween can be a long night. Stretch out your booty and nibble on mini or fun-size servings, just be sure to keep your calorie quota around 200.

Don’t be afraid of the dark. Chocolate and its main ingredient, cocoa, contain powerful antioxidants called flavanols. Studies have found that eating dark chocolate with more than a 65 percent cocoa content, lowers blood pressure and helps prevent diabetes and heart disease.

Go nuts. Look for treats with peanuts or almonds. Nuts contain heart healthy fats and provide protein which helps curb your appetite.

Fat Chance. Compare brands and pick the candy with the least amount of fat. As a rule of thumb: the more fat, the higher the calories so you get to eat less candy – boo to that!

Chew on this. Resist the urge to splurge and opt for candy that stays in your mouth for a while and takes a long time to eat. Just bed sure to brush your teeth.

Regret-Free Treats . . .

Mini Dark Chocolate Bars: 5 pieces (43 grams), 210 calories, 13 grams fat, 3 grams protein

Chocolate Candy-Coated Peanuts: 2 fun-size bags (36 grams), 180 calories, 10 grams fat, 3 grams protein

Malted Milk Balls: 18 pieces (41 grams), 190 calories, 7 grams fat, 1 gram protein

Licorice: 5 (6-inch) pieces (38 grams), 130 calories, 0.5 grams fat, 1 gram protein

Mint Patties: 3 snack-size pieces (51 grams), 180 calories, 3 grams fat, 0 grams protein

Sugar-Free Bubble Gum: 1 pack = 15 sticks (41 grams), 75 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 grams protein

Dark Chocolate Covered Raisins: ¼ cup (45 grams), 190 calories, 8 grams fat, 2 grams protein

Hard Candy: 6 pieces (36 grams), 140 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 grams protein

For more healthy Halloween treats and party foods like DIY Pop Corn Balls and Pumpkin-Black Bean Chili, check out my iTunes app Time to Eat Healthy!