Halloween presents the perfect excuse for engaging in many activities that we wish were acceptable every day of the year, but just aren’t. We have the opportunity to dress up as the princesses, and celebrities we know deep down we are. We can decorate autumnal vegetables and spend 13 nights worshipping ABC Family for offering up priceless throwbacks à la Hocus Pocus. Perhaps most importantly, we are encouraged to devour as many chocolaty, sugary, downright delicious treats as we can find.
If you’re anything like me, you look forward to dressing up, pumpkin carving, and movie watching at least in part because candy eating will inevitably play a role in each of these activities. We all have our favorites, but whether you’re a Milky Way diehard, or a Starburst fanatic the fact of the matter is calories still count on October 31st (and the surrounding days/weeks). While it is unrealistic (and frankly inhumane) to refrain entirely from doing some caloric damage, it is helpful to understand the consequences of over-indulging during the most candy-licious season. Here, I offer you some tips and tricks so you can flaunt an even hotter costume next year!
1. Choose figure-friendly goodies
While science has yet to invent a calorie-free, sugar-free, fat-free candy that tastes exactly like a 100 Grand, the good news is that some treats are decidedly less devastating than others, even when moderation goes out the window.
As this handy chart shows, a surprising number of popular candies contain trans fats. It’s best to avoid these partially hydrogenated fats, as they raise cholesterol levels and may lead to heart disease. So it makes more sense to reach for a Crunch Bar than a 3 Musketeers, even though the later contains less sugar. Likewise, on the non-chocolate end, Dots are the better choice over Gobbstoppers, which contain trans fats and a long list of “bad ingredients” (in this case: Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Artificial Colors, Carnauba Wax).
Additionally, beyond the obvious low-cal treats, it is important to consider sugar levels in Halloween candy. Candy by definition has higher sugar content than most foods, but there is a wide range amongst the treats. Hershey’s Kisses contain a relatively low amount of sugar (2.3 grams for one) compared to a fun size package of Sugar Babies (15g). When in doubt—do a quick label check, or Google search to avoid a sugar headache, or major regret later on!
A full chart of popular Halloween treats can be found here.
2. Moderation, moderation, moderation
You’ve heard it a million times: unhealthy foods are okay, as long as in moderation. This rule is especially relevant on Halloween! Temptation will be everywhere, and it is important to muster up as much will power as possible to stop after the third (or fourth, or fifth, letsbehonest) package of Swedish Fish. Practicing moderation will minimize guilt while still allowing you to nibble on the treats that you love.
3. Chill out
Now that you have the essential tools for a guilt-free Halloween 2013, stop worrying! Easy swaps will satisfy your sweet tooth, without sacrificing your figure. Halloween is basically a universal cheat day, and especially after midterm stress and impending finals anxiety you deserve that extra Kit Kat bar!