By Emily Miller
With Halloween less than two weeks away, it’s time to start thinking about what type of goodies you will be passing out to the ghosts and princesses that will be ringing your doorbell this year.
Halloween candy is unfortunately packed with empty calories, high levels of sugar and other unhealthy ingredients.
While full-sized packages of candy have the nutritional information on the package, this might not be true for the popular “fun size” or snack size” proportions.
It’s important to remember that these bite-sized candies are not calorie-free and can quickly add up.
Here’s a brief list of popular “fun sized” Halloween candy and their calorie count:
· Snickers – 72 calories
· Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup – 80 calories
· Almond Joy – 91 calories
· Milky Way – 76 calories
· M&M’s – 90 calories
· Kit Kat – 73 calories
· Skittles – 80 calories
· Whoppers – 100 calories
If you want to take a different direction this year, consider purchasing some of the following health alternatives to the traditional Halloween candy. These candies are less likely to ruin your diet while still satisfying your sweet tooth.
High Quality Dark Chocolate
Unlike it’s popular counterpart, dark chocolate contains a high percentage of real cocoa which is actually good for you in small doses. This type of chocolate is also rich in antioxidants. If you want all the benefits of dark chocolate, purchase a brand that has at least 60 percent real cocoa.
Dried Fruit
While this alternative may not be popular among the trick-or-treaters, the low-sugar quantity found in dried fruit can easily satisfy someone’s sweet tooth without going overboard. Dried fruit is actually packed with antioxidants and Vitamin C and can range from dried cranberries to raspberries to blackberries.
Sugar-Free Homemade Cookies
Even though cookies still have some of the sugar, fat and calories found in traditional Halloween candy, they don’t have the preservatives, which makes them a better option.
Lunch Box Snacks
From Goldfish to fruit snacks, there’s a huge range of candy alternatives that you could pass out this Halloween that are healthier for trick-or-treaters. Some alternatives are granola bars, cheese sticks, crackers, and chips.
For those who want to take a completely different path regarding Halloween goodies, consider purchasing some non-food alternatives that trick-or-treaters can still enjoy.
Temporary Tattoos
Temporary tattoos give the trick-or-treaters a different type of fun that doesn’t involve consuming any empty calories. These can be picked up at your local Halloween store or dollar store.
Novelty Toys
Novelty toys can range from plastic spider rings to neon glow sticks and give trick-or-treaters something to play with while going door-to-door. They also can be found at your local Halloween or dollar store.
