Performance Spine and Sports Medicine Halloween Survival Guide:
For managing Halloween treats and Safety
Did you know that raisenets are one of the top candies with the most sugar? Or that Reese’s pieces are among the candies with the lowest sugar? Here are a few popular Halloween candies with the highest and lowest sugar amounts.
Candies that are super high in sugar include candies like Bubble Gum, Twizzlers, Jelly Beans, York Peppermint Patties, Skittles, Tootsie Rolls and Starburst.
On the contrary, did you know that Kit Kat’s are among the candies with the lowest sugar? Joined by Nutrageous, Reese’s Pieces, Mr. Goodbar, Chocolate Covered Peanuts and Hershey’s Chocolate Almond Bites.
And the candy that has the highest calories? Twix takes the cake at 120 calories-for one stick! So much for their motto: “Two for me, none for you”. That’s 240 calories for one snack! So that leads us to our 3 favorite must’s for your Halloween Survival Guide:
- Set the ground rules before Halloween-and before the kids come home with a pillow case full of candy.
- Sign a contract with your child-for example stating that they agree to have x number of pieces of candy per day.
- A really popular idea that many parents are doing; is a candy exchange program where kids turn in some of their candy for money. For example, your children can count their candy and for every 4 pieces they get they can exchange it for $.25. They can identify a toy that they want and then use the candy as currency. Or put the money in their piggy banks. That way they can also choose to keep a couple of pieces if they have any left over.
And then here is the nutty, chocolatey, chewy low down on some of the most common candies out there on Halloween:
The CHEWY:
- Dots: 70 calories, 0 grams fat, 10.5 grams sugar
- Laffy Taffy: 30 calories, 0.4 grams fat, 4 grams sugar
- Milk Duds: 53 calories, 2 grams fat, 6.3 grams sugar
- Tootsie Roll Midgees (6 pieces): 140 calories, 3 grams fat, 19 grams sugar
- Tootsie Roll snack bar: 150 calories, 1.1 grams fat, 7 grams sugar
The CHOCOLATEY:
- 3 Musketeers: 63 calories, 2 grams fat, 10 grams sugar
- Butterfinger: 85 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 8.5 grams sugar
- Hershey miniature bars: 42 calories, 2.6 grams fat, 4.4 grams sugar
- Junior Mints: 80 calories, 1.5 grams fat, 14 grams sugar
- Kit Kat: 70 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 7 grams sugar
- Milky Way: 80 calories, 3 grams fat, 10 grams sugar
- Reese’s peanut butter cup: 80 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 8 grams sugar
- York Peppermint Patty: 50 calories, 1 gram fat, 9 grams sugar
The FRUITY:
- Nerds: 50 calories, 0 grams fat, 12 grams sugar
- Skittles: 60 calories, 0.7 grams fat, 11 grams sugar
- Starburst: 40 calories, 0.8 grams fat, 5.5 grams sugar
- SweeTarts: 50 calories, 0 grams fat, 12 grams sugar
The SUCKERS
- Dum Dums: 25 calories, 0 grams fat, 5 grams sugar
- Tootsie Roll Pops: 60 calories, 0 grams fat, 10 grams sugar
The NUTTY
- Almond Joy: 80 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 8 grams sugar
- Hershey’s Milk Chocolate With Almonds: 73 calories, 4.6 grams fat, 7 grams sugar
- M&M’s peanut: 90 calories, 5 grams fat, 9 grams sugar
- Snickers: 80 calories, 4 grams fat, 8.5 grams sugar
Most of all BE SAFE!! Here are our top ten safety tips:
- Skip the mask, go with face paint!
- Eat dinner before going trick-or-treating so kids aren’t tempted to eat their candy before you can inspect it.
- Hem costumes! Most accidents come from tripping and falling from a costume being too long.
- Always rely on safety in numbers & the “Buddy System”: If Trick-or-Treating with friends, don’t separate and go off alone.
- Don’t pet unfamiliar dogs, even if they look friendly.
- Never enter a stranger’s home or car.
- Parents: Sew or pin contact information inside your child’s costume.
- If kids are trick-or-treating in the dark make sure they have a flashlight.
- Only go to houses/neighborhoods you are familiar with.
- When crossing the road, always look both ways and never assume a car will see you.
Happy Halloween from Performance Spine & Sports Medicine!!
