Tricky Treats: What’s the healthier choice of Halloween candy?

Oct 20, 2021 | THRIVE

Halloween candy is delicious, but it’s also loaded with refined sugar, additives, and calories, and not enough nutrients. To help you make a healthier choice, we reviewed the calorie counts and nutrition content of 14 of the “healthier” Halloween treats and ranked them from best to worst.

  1. A Roll of Smarties: 25 calories, 6 grams of sugar, 0 grams of total fat
    Low in calories, sugar, and fat, Smarties are the clear winner when it comes to healthy candy.
  2. Classic Tootsie Pop: 60 calories, 11 grams of sugar, 0 grams of total fat
    How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? The Tootsie Pop website reports the answer is anywhere for 144 to 411. The length of time it takes to eat a Tootsie Pop is one of the reasons it’s considered a “healthy” Halloween treat – you can’t over indulge.
  3. Treat Size Sour Patch Kids: 120 calories, 22 grams of sugar, 0 grams of total fat
  4. Airheads Mini Bars: 140 calories, 19 grams of sugar, 1.5 grams of total fat
  5. Laffy Taffy Mini Bar: 140 calories, 19 grams of sugar, 2 grams of total fat
  6. Mini Pack Starburst Original: 150 calories, 28 grams of sugar, 2 grams of total fat
  7. Tootsie Roll Snack Bar: 120 calories, 17 grams of sugar, 2.5 grams of total fat
    If you’re looking to satisfy your chocolate craving while maintaining a low-fat lifestyle, then Tootie Rolls are your best bet.
  8. Brach’s Candy Corn Treat Packs: 150 calories, 31 grams of sugar, 0 grams of total fat
  9. Fun Size Skittles: 190 calories, 34 grams of sugar, 2 grams of total fat
  10. Snack Size Kit Kat: 140 calories, 14 grams of sugar, 7 grams of total fat
    Kit Kats are considered the best choice candy bar, probably because the main component is a light wafer.
  11. Fun Size Milky Way: 160 calories, 21 grams of sugar, 6 grams of total fat
  12. Fun Size Butterfinger: 170 calories, 17 grams of sugar, 7 grams of total fat
    Lower in sugar and fat than many of its counterparts, Butterfingers make for a good choice.
  13. Fun Size Baby Ruth: 170 calories, 20 grams of sugar, 8 grams of total fat
    Peanuts give this candy a slight edge, adding two grams of protein to its nutritional info.
  14. Snack Size 3 Musketeers: 190 calories, 30 grams of sugar, 6 grams of total fat
    The heroic candy is relatively high in calories and sugar, but it lacks any of the traditional additions — caramel and peanuts, for example — that make many chocolate bars high in fat. So if you’re looking for a low-fat chocolate fix, 3 Musketeers is a good option.

Healthy (and Delicious) Trick-or-Treat Options

Here are 15 portable, healthy, and fun foods that are great for handing out to trick-or-treaters.

  1. Granola Bars
  2. Teddy Grahams
  3. Fruit Leathers
  4. Kudos Fruit & Nut Bar
  5. 100% Juice Boxes
  6. Sugarless Gum Packs
  7. Frito-Lay Munchies Kid Mix
  8. Packs of cheese & crackers
  9. Chex Mix
  10. Chocolate-covered dried fruit
  11. Honey Maid Cinnamon Sticks
  12. Welch’s Fruit Snacks
  13. Rice Krispies Treats
  14. Animal Crackers
  15. Nutrition bars such as NutriPals or Luna

Sensible Candy Choices

If you do decide to hand out candy on Halloween night, be sure to make these more sensible choices:

  • Opt for low-fat. Choose candy, such as Peppermint Patties, Three Musketeers, and Twizzlers. These all have less fat and calories than their counterparts and still taste great.
  • Size matters. Always offer fun-size or snack-size versions of candy to decrease the calories, fat, and sugar content. Kids get a sugar fix without over-doing it.
  • More isn’t always better. When handing out candy, don’t give out multiple pieces or handfuls. Give one fun-size candy bar or treat and then hand out a healthier option, such as a mini box of raisins or a pack of sugarless gum or candy.