We all know Halloween is all about costumes and candy. The candy craze starts long before we say “trick or treat” and lasts long into November.
But the sugar doesn’t have to haunt you. Just keep in mind the calorie count and how many times you dip your hand into that orange plastic jack-o-lantern.
Here’s the skinny on some of your favorite Halloween treats:
Reese’s pumpkin (One pumpkin has 90 calories and 16 grams of sugar)
To burn off one Reese’s pumpkin you would have to jump rope for about 8 minutes. These are my personal favorite, I can’t eat just one.
Pumpkin Spice Hershey’s Kisses (Ten kisses have 230 calories and 22 grams of sugar)
To erase 10 kisses you would have to use the elliptical trainer for 30 minutes. It’s easy to munch on kisses all day long, so make sure you’re keeping track to avoid going overboard.
Cadbury Screme egg (One egg has 170 calories)
You would have to run for about 20 minutes at 6.0 mph to burn off one.
Oreo candy corn flavor (Two cookies have 150 calories and 12 grams of sugar)
You would have to jog up stairs for 12 minutes to undo the damage.
Butterfinger pumpkins (The fun size packs 85 calories while the two-pack has 160 calories)
To blast the calories in a two-pack, you would have to swim laps at moderate effort for about 27 minutes.
Candy Corn (Just 19 pieces costs you 140 calories and 32 grams of sugar)
These little pieces can add up quickly. You would have to bike moderately for 20 minutes to burn off just a handful of candy corn.
If this post has done nothing but make you crave candy, here are some quick tips:
Make sure you read the nutritional information of the back on the candy. One serving size might be a lot smaller than you think. Some individual bags may actually have two servings.
According to Women’s Health magazine, mint candies are typically the lowest in calorie count. Plus peppermint is known to reduce fatigue and anxiety. When in doubt, reach for the mint candy.
The key to surviving the haunted holiday? Portion control. Use serving size information and try to limit yourself to a few bites or just one piece a day. Keep track of how much you’ve had throughout the day to keep the candy under control.
But remember to enjoy the holiday and the candy; just don’t get tricked into eating too many treats.