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Tips for Choosing Healthier Halloween Candy!

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Berkeley chapter.

Tips for Choosing Healthier Halloween Candy!

 
Not all candy is created equal! According to Gloria Tsang, dietitian and author of the new book Go UnDiet: 50 Small Actions for Lasting Weight Loss and founder of nutrition network HealthCastle.com, you can still cut back on calories, sugar, and fat just by choosing the right candy. So while none of these tasty treats may actually benefit your health, you still have a choice between the lesser of two evils.

Here are the winners and losers of HealthCastle.com’s candy comparison:  

  • PayDay beats Reese Peanut Butter Cups: Unlike other nut-based bars, PayDay is the only one that actually lists peanuts (instead of sugar) as its first ingredient.
  • Kit Kat beats Twix: Although both have around the same amount of calories and sugar, Twix is advertised as a biscuit topped with caramel and chocolate. The problem is that caramel is not even on its ingredients list, meaning the “caramel” is likely made from solid oil with flavorings.
  • M&Ms beat Skittles: Unfortunately, both candies contain artificial colorings and wax. But M&Ms at least offer a little calcium and protein, and less sugar. 
  • Baby Ruth beats Snickers: There’s no real winner here – Snickers has partially hydrogenated oil, and Baby Ruth has high-fructose corn syrup and the preservative TBHQ. Snickers loses out simply because the portion is larger, leaving room for more calories. 
  • Mounds beats Almond Joy: Almond Joy contains more ingredients, including partially hydrogenated oil.
  • 3 Musketeers beats Hershey Milk Chocolate:  3 Musketeers was the only candy surveyed that actually includes real cocoa powder.
  • Whoppers beat Milk Duds: Milk Duds tend to cause dental issues because they stick to your teeth. Additionally, Whoppers come in a smaller serving and saves some calories. 

 
Source:
http://www.healthcastle.com/

Sarah Smith is a junior at the University of Michigan, Class of 2012, majoring in Communication Studies and Political Science. She is the Editor-in-Chief of The Forum, Michigan's Greek Life Newspaper, and the secretary of Michigan's chapter of Ed2010. Sarah is also an active member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, and she currently serves Michigan's Panhellenic Association as the Vice President of Public Relations.  A native of Sterling Heights, MI, she has been a Michigan fan since birth and loves spending Saturday mornings cheering on her Wolverines. Some of her favorite things include The Office, Audrey Hepburn, women's magazines, and microwave popcorn - preferably with lots of butter and salt!