We Want Your Candy!
“Trick or Treat!” Yes, it is that time of year again when we fill our homes with treats for our little goblins. It is hard to have that candy on hand for Halloween without sneaking a few pieces here and there. Harmless, right? Not really…those empty calories add up very quickly, not to mention the damage the sugary treats can do to your teeth not just your waistline.
How much sugar is in that fun-sized Snickers bar? How many calories in that tiny pack of M&M’s? Whereas full-sized packages of candy have the nutritional information on the package, the deluge that comes home from trick or treating usually does not.
I found that serving sizes can be tricky, especially with “off-brands.” For example, a Palmer Halloween pack of peanut butter cups lists a serving size as 1.5 ounces. How many PB cups a serving? Well, there are 63 pieces of candy in the 26 oz bag, and we are left to figure it out from there. A serving turns out to be 3.64 pieces of candy! Pretty ridiculous.
Also, “fun size” and “snack size” are often on the packaging, but these sizes don’t really mean anything. A snack size of one type of candy can be the same as a fun size of another. Even worse, I found instances where “snack size” of the same type of candy differed from one bag to another, and it certainly changes over time (they are gradually getting smaller).
Here is the calorie information in many common Halloween candy treats:
M&M Plain–88 calories Snickers or Twix miniature bars–average 38 calories 3 Musketeer–64 calories Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups–88 calories Milk Duds–54 calories Whoppers–30-100 calories Kit Kat–73 calories York Peppermint Patty–53 calories Twizzler–32-40 calories Gummy candy–260 calories/2.25 oz. Blow Pop Jr.–50 calories Candy Corn–70 calories/11 peices Animal Cookies–120 calories
Here are some tips to keep those treats out of reach:
- Buy Halloween candy to give out to trick-or-treaters that you don’t enjoy eating so that the temptation will be reduced during the haunt.
- Have a bowl of grapes or other type of fruit during the trick-or-treat event (especially if you are the one passing out the candy) so that you have something else to grab and munch on.
- Your kids got all the candy? Mmmmmmm…temptation is calling! Keep that candy in a cupboard so that it is out of sight. When you start to think about it, distract yourself. Drink some water or chew some gum instead to occupy your mouth.
- Your kids brought home way too much loot even for them to moderately consume. Have them pick out their favorite pieces which you can divvy out to them over the week. Bring the rest of the candy to work and put it in a bowl (not near your desk) for others to enjoy.
- Temptations at work? Make sure to have your healthy snack available so that you stay fueled and full throughout the day. When stress arises and you are hungry, all “will power” flies out the door and those treats will call your name. By having your healthy snack available, you can control your hunger better.
Still manage to eat too many treats this season? Try a new activity to burn off those unwanted calories:
26 mins of bicycling = 180 calories of tricks 25 mins of stairclimbing= 260 calories of treats 17 mins of jumping jacks= 160 calories of tricks 60 mins of walking = 240 calories of treats 31 mins of jogging= 250 calories of tricks 28 mins of dancing= 210 calories of treats 46 mins of strenght training= 160 calories of tricks *calorie burn based on a 145-pound womanAnother great idea for getting rid of that extra candy this Halloween season…
Operation Gratitude will be sending 60,000 care packages (including our Milestone Package in December) and we need tons of candy, literally, to fill them! Last year, we received and shipped 125 TONS! We hope you will participate in this worthwhile and fun activity!CoachMeFit has collected between 30-50 pounds of candy in the last two Operation Gratitude candy collections through our studio. We will have a collection box in our studio again this year. Help us break a new record by bringing in your Halloween candy! What’s in it for you? With each donation made, you will receive a decrease in guilt, sugar crashes, and weight gain…for free! You’re welcome.
Happy Halloween!
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