Some 2,000 years ago, when the Celtics celebrated their New Year on October 31, it was a celebration of the end of summer and the beginning of a dark, cold winter — typically associated with death. Ooooh sounds scary! I don’t like scary stuff, so instead of focusing on vampires, ghosts, and goblins, I associate Halloween with silliness, goofy get-ups, and candy! To me, Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday season filled with lots of treats, plenty of scrumptious food, and tasty cocktails. I love this time if year — so much so, that in the past I’ve overdone it with the treats. Now I know that, if I’m not conscious of the food, all the holiday tasties can damage my waistline. I plan to be especially careful this year since I am getting married this summer. I can’t afford to have a 5-pound cushion resting on my hips after the holidays. You with me? I compared some popular candies to help you save on calories.Which one’s the trick and which is the treat?:
Candy Corn vs. M&M’s
Candy corn: 1 serving (22 pieces) = 140 calories, 0, gram fat, 36 gram carbohydrate, 28 gram sugar
M&M’s: 1 Fun size packet = 100 calories, 4.5 gram fat, 2.5 gram saturated fat, 15 gram of carbohydrate, 13 gram sugar
The treat: M&M’s. While candy corn may sound like a good snack because it has no fat, it has a ton of calories from sugar in such a small portion. This type of candy is very easy to overeat. At least if you eat the M&M’s you can satisfy your sweat tooth for less calories and because the packet is portion controlled you may be less likely to tear open another packet. For an even better treat, choose peanut M&M’s (fun size of course) for only 90 calories, 5 gram fat, 2 gram saturated fat, 11 gram carbohydrate, 9 gram sugar.
100 Grand vs. Snickers
100 Grand Fun Size Bar: 100 calories, 4 gram fat, 2.5 gram saturated fat, 15 gram carbohydrate, 14 gram sugar
Snickers Fun Size Bar: 70 calories, 3 gram fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 10 gram carbohydrate, 7 gram sugar
The treat: Snickers bar. By choosing the Snickers you’ll save 30 calories and 1.5 grams of saturated fat. To make this choice even better, choose the dark chocolate variety for added heart protective flavonoids.
1 Tootsie Pop vs. 1 Skittles Snack size
Tootsie Pop: 60 calories, 0 gram fat, 16 gram carbohydrate, 16 gram sugar
Skittles Snack Size Packet: 80 calories, 0 gram fat, 17 gram carbohydrate, 17 grams sugar.
The treat: Tootsie pop. I don’t know about you, but I can down a small packet of Skittles in seconds. By sucking on a lollipop you’ll not only save 20 calories, but your mouth will be occupied for a longer period of time — which may prevent you from reaching back into the candy dish when you are done.
