Scary Facts about Halloween

Let’s stay on track during the holiday weekend

>knock< >knock<

“Boo!”

“Boo who?”

“Boo hoo, you just gained 5 pounds during the Halloween weekend.”

Halloween is officially Monday, but the celebration has started early this year. A basket of candy on the receptionist’s desk. School celebrations on Friday. Trick or treating parties. Goblins, ghouls, pirates and princesses knocking on your door. And what if you don’t get any trick or treaters?

Trick or Treat

This time of year, temptation is everywhere, and it gets worse as the year accelerates to its grand finale. Worse, Halloween treats are tricky, identified as “miniatures” in colorful bags that line the seasonal shelves as you enter the grocery store. They offer individually-wrapped, bite-sized pieces of all the old favorites. They’ll be 2 for $5 by Tuesday. Ugh.

Knowledge is Power
We’re all going to indulge every once in a while, and so to help you decide which treats to give into, I have provided a list of the 10 most popular candy choices during Halloween and the associated “nutritional” info (there’s not really much value to be had).

Just remember: candy is candy and that means empty calories with little health benefit.

What do you do when you guzzle down sweets?

1. Reese’s Cup Miniatures: Serving size 5 pieces.
   220 calories, 13g fat, 23g sugar, 26 carbs
2. Hershey’s Miniatures: Serving Size 5 pieces
   210 calories, 13g fat, 22g sugar, 25g carbs
3. Tootsie Roll: serving size 6 mini rolls
   140 calories, 3g fat, 19g sugar, 28g carbs
4. Sour Patch Kids: serving size 2oz.
   210 calories, 0g fat, 36g sugar, 52g carbs
5. Nerds: 1 Wild cherry and Watermelon box
   120 calories, 0g fat, 42g sugar, 42g carbs
6. M&M’s: 1 Fun Pack
   70 calories, 3g fat, 10g sugar, 11g carbs
7. Candy Corn: serving size 19 pieces
   140 calories, 0g fat, 32g sugar, 36g carbs
8. Nestle Crunch: fun size bar
   60 calories, 3g fat, 7g sugar, 8.6g carbs
9. Snicker’s: fun size bar
   72 calories, 3.7g fat, 7g sugar, 9g carbs
10. Starburst: serving size 9 pieces
    130 calories, 0g fat, 22g sugar, 31g carbs

Fun size! What?
See if you feel the same way on November 1.

If you really want to stay on track, celebrate Halloween the good old fashioned way and eat an apple. 1 medium apple creeps in at about 95 calories, 0g fat, 19g sugar, and 25g of carbs (candy apples need not apply)!

No matter how you choose to enjoy Halloween this year, just remember, the ghost of old habits can stick around long after the costumes are put away.