14 DC
District
L OCAL LIVING
EAT, DRINK & BE HEALTHY
A Halloween sight that’s scarier than witches, ghosts or vampires: The candy’s nutrition label
by Jennifer LaRue Huget Even if you don’t go trick-or-treating,
it’s hard to avoid Halloween candy this time of year. For those of us who aim to eat healthfully, there are three basic approaches to candy, Halloween candy in particular:
day as possible. If that’s the case, non-chocolate treats, particularly chews and pops that last longer, would work better. Those candies typically list some form of sugar first; they also are usually lower in calories (and saturated fat), so you can allow yourself more of them throughout the day. As for how many days you decide to
You can
abstain, which is easier said than
done. You can carefully select treats
that you can justify, choosing candies that are, say, lower in fat or calories than others, or take longer to eat. Or you can decide to enthusiastically indulge in what will truly satisfy your craving for candy, but do so in moderation and know when to quit. I don’t intend to indulge at all. I’ve
PHOTO CREDITS: TRICK-OR-TREATER FROM ISTOCKPHOTO; REESE’S PEANUT-BUTTER CUP, CANDY CORN AND TWIZZLERS FROM BIGSTOCK; SNICKERS AND M&M’S FROM MARS; TOOTSIE ROLL POPS FROM TOOTSIE ROLL INDUSTRIES
worked too hard to lose weight this year to introduce candy into my balanced eating regimen. But if I were going to, I’d probably choose a chocolate-rich candy bar or two, taking time to enjoy every morsel and making sure to accommodate the extra calories by cutting back elsewhere in my diet that day. To me, then, finding the candy that delivers the biggest chocolate punch (those whose ingredients list chocolate first) would be key. But you might prefer to keep a sweet taste in your mouth for as much of the
indulge, I suggest setting a limit: Either enjoy some candy on Halloween and the day after, or budget 100 calories a day for, say, a week. If you trust yourself enough, you could even set aside some candy to dip into once a week for the next month. I’ve scoured a lot of candy packages
lately, and I highly recommend you read the nutrition facts and ingredient lists for the candies you choose. One suggestion: Don’t fool yourself into thinking those containing nuts or fruit are nutritious or otherwise good for you. Candy is candy and should play a limited role in your diet. Whatever tack you take, it’s best to
devise your Halloween game plan ahead of time. Here’s a guide to help you sort out your options.
Chocolate candy
When you eat chocolate, you’re consuming fat and the extra calories fat imparts. Some bars are more worth that concession than others. You can eat one
two-piece snack size Kit Kat bar for 70 calories, 30 of them from fat. Or you could choose a
Reese’s peanut-butter cup for 110 calories, 50 of them from fat. I’d take the Reese’s
cup, because its first ingredient is milk chocolate and its second is peanuts (before sugar, dextrose, salt and preservatives). Kit Kat’s ingredient list
THE WASHINGTON POST • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2010
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