The 'healthiest' Halloween candy is an American favorite

Are you an M&M person or a Skittles person? How about Swedish Fish or Sour Patch Kids? Chocolate or gummies?

It’s October, so it’s time to perfect your costume and stock up on trick-or-treating candy. It’s the season of spooky decorations and corny Halloween jokes, but some parents may be afraid of their kids going crazy with sugar and leftover candy being rationed.

If you’re dreading the candy aspect of the spooky season, here are some expert tips to make it a little easier.

What is the healthiest Halloween candy?

Halloween candy doesn’t have much, if any, nutritional value. But these options rank higher than other options, say rose brit registered dietitian with top nutrition coaching.

Britt says the “healthiest” candy for Halloween is peanut M&Ms or similar complex candies. Multiple ingredients, such as peanuts, provide at least a little more substance than just corn syrup.

Getting to the nitty-gritty, Peanut M&Ms contain just under 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of protein, and 9 grams of sugar. A similarly sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup contains about the same nutritional value, but with a little added sugar, and a Snickers bar has no fiber, 1 gram of protein, and no sugar. Contains 9 grams.

“It’s not the overall balance, but it’s going to be a little more filling compared to traditional straight sugar type candy,” Britt says.

Peanut M&Ms are also mostly made from milk chocolate. For comparison, Almond Joy also contains nuts and chocolate, but is mostly made with corn syrup. When comparing candies, Britt recommends focusing on the first ingredient, which is the most abundant.

Candies with nuts are the healthiest, but if you like sweet treats, Smarties are the way to go. One serving of Smarties includes: 25 calories, 6 grams of carbohydrates. In comparison, one serving of Sour Patch Kids contains: 110 calories, 24 grams of carbohydrates.

Candy generally has little or no nutritional value. The CDC’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting added sugars. less than 10% of total calories for the day. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children over 2 years of age limit their daily intake of added sugars to the following ranges: less than 25 grams.

Britt warns that allowing yourself and your children to indulge on Halloween can help foster a healthier relationship with food.

“I wouldn’t count sugar grams, and I wouldn’t recommend counting sugar grams every day anyway, but you don’t have to worry about that on Halloween night,” Britt says. “From now on, your best bet is to have one or two (candies) with dinner and limit your sugar intake for the rest of the day. This is in context.”

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How parents manage Halloween candy for their kids

Brit, that Focus is on pediatric nutritionsays the most important thing is making memories and enjoying the holidays with your family. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed about how to set limits and curb your child’s candy intake, keep these things in mind:

Set boundaries in advance

The best way to prepare is to have a game plan before trick-or-treating begins. Britt recommends letting your kids “go crazy” on Halloween night, then setting restrictions for the next few days. The limit is one or two per day.

She also recommends setting deadlines based on the amount of candy you’ve scraped together at home.

“Perhaps if you don’t have a ton of candy, you might say, ‘We’ll do this until we run out of Halloween candy,’ or if you have a ton of candy, you might say, ‘We’ll do this until November.'” 15 ” she suggests.

Plan a nutritious meal before trick-or-treating

Parents may not be able to control the free-spirited nature of Halloween night, but they can control the balanced meals their family eats in advance.

Britt recommends eating a diet rich in protein and fiber, even if you don’t have a lot of it. Fiber contributes to balanced energy and reduces blood sugar spikes that lead to energy crashes. Foods high in fiber include brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta, pita bread, and fruits and vegetables. Protein helps your little trick-or-treaters stay full for longer.

Even if the candy supply lingers for weeks or months, parents can stay in the driver’s seat and maintain balance by stocking the refrigerator with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, plant-based proteins, and high-quality meat sources. You can focus on healthy, nutritious meals. family meals.

Introducing “parental tax”

Parents may be familiar with the Halloween “parent tax.” What adult wouldn’t want to get some Milky Way for themselves?

Britt makes a different argument. It would tax candy that is not yet safe for young children to eat.

“Be careful with nuts, hard candy, sticky candy and gum until your child is 4 years old,” she says. “This is a good way to weed out anything that may be unsafe, especially for young children, especially if parents think they may not be able to fully supervise their children.”

Consume leftover candy with meals or snacks, not after meals.

It’s easy to see candy as a treat or reward for good behavior. Britt objects to this tactic and suggests that they instead eat their allotted candy at dinner. This will help children perceive their entire plate as delicious. Vegetables aren’t just gross things you have to go through to get something tasty. It can also promote unhealthy thinking by stigmatizing candy and sugar as “bad” or “junk food.” It may also help you avoid kids waiting until after dinner to wait for snacks.

If you’re eating candy outside of a meal, she recommends putting away screens and other distractions. Please enjoy the sweets that will satisfy you with all five senses.

Use it as a learning experience

You may have never thought of candy as a way to introduce new foods to your picky eaters, but think again. Britt points to Almond Joy as an example, which helps showcase coconut and almond flavors. Try a weeknight meal with the same ingredients (perhaps coconut curry) and have a conversation about the taste of both foods.

“It’s a great bridge to something completely foreign for kids who are a little reserved or a little picky about trying new foods. When they see it in candy form, they get a little more excited,” Britt says. Let me explain.

repeated exposure A journal article in the Academic Child Health Center found that developing an interest in unfamiliar foods and creating positive social experiences during meals are proven ways to reduce or avoid picky eating. .

What is the healthiest Halloween candy?

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