As spooky season starts to consume our thoughts and all of the products at stores, it gets hard to say no to the candy that comes with Halloween. Not only does everything now have cute spiders and ghosts on the wrappers, but it is also so much cheaper than normal! Indulging in candy always feels great at the moment, but can come with some regret later. Although none of these treats are exactly good for you, a small indulgence is ok and actually helps to stop binging on snacks later. Next time you’re at the convenience store or in front of a bowl of candy at a friend’s or work, treat yo self moderately with these healthier(ish) options:
1. Smarties
They’re not called Smarties for anything! One roll is only 25 calories and 5 grams of sugar, which is extremely low-cal compared to all the other snacks out there. The only downside is that they’re not filling at all, so keep in mind how many of these you’re actually eating.
2. Dark Chocolate
Surprisingly, dark chocolate is full of antioxidants and when eaten in moderation, has many health benefits. We recommend eating something that says at least “70% cocoa” or higher and not grabbing a chocolate bar full of caramel, toffee, nuts, cream, etc. Hershey’s Special Dark, as well as Dove Promises Dark Chocolate, is really good and also comes individually wrapped.
3. York Peppermint Patty’s
Your toothpaste doesn’t just stop you from eating because you feel clean; that minty-fresh peppermint taste actually curbs hunger. York’s have this minty feeling along with a savory dark chocolate coating to satisfy cravings and stop you from eating the whole bag. Plus, there’s nothing better than breaking the patty by your ear and literally hearing that whoosh of the mint breaking.
4. Twizzlers
My mom used to always buy Twizzlers because she praised it as the “low fat” candy. And, they truly are: 4 pieces of the Strawberry Twists only have .5 grams of fat. The downside is that they’re high in sugar like all other fruity, chewy candies. So if you’re more of a chewy, fruity candy person than a chocolate girl, Twizzlers are probably your best option!
5. 3 Musketeers (Minis)
3 Musketeers have significantly fewer calories and less fat than other chocolate bars. Light and fluffy, and easily available in those fun-size Halloween bags, these snacks are the healthier option in the variety pack. While 4 of these are still under 100 calories, the sugar does start to add up so be careful about how many you pop in your mouth!
6. Snickers
There’s a myth that Snickers candy bars were given to soldiers in WWII as a satisfying snack, which makes sense since this bar not only tastes good but also includes proteins, carbs and fats. While we do not advise to eat these bars all the time and in excess, they truly do support the You’re not you when you’re hungry; eat a Snickers slogan.
7. Almond Joy/Mounds
Both bars are basically the same in calories, fat and sugar; the only real difference is that Almond Joy is milk chocolate and has almonds, whereas Mounds is just coconut and dark chocolate. Almond Joy has healthier nuts, but Mounds has healthier chocolate, so really it’s whatever your mood is! As always, eating more than 1 bar no longer makes this a good alternative to other candies.
Keep it spooky and healthy this Halloween season with these options!