Halloween is like the Vegas of holidays: you completely indulge—in this case, in fistfuls of candy you haven’t touched since you were a kid—and then you feel like utter crap the next day.
But nutritionist Keri Glassman, founder and president of Nutritious Life, knows that nixing all candy on Halloween isn’t realistic for most of us. The solution is to choose your treats wisely. “Candy is meant for times like Halloween—not for everyday,” she said. “By allowing yourself a little indulgence, you won’t feel deprived and you can enjoy the holiday. The key is to choose the options that are indulgent but the least ‘bad.’ I like a piece of real chocolate versus any of the artificially colored, sugar-laden junk!”
Want to satisfy our sweet tooth without waking up the next day with a belly full of regret? Here are five options for nutritionist-approved Halloween treats:
1. Two minature Hershey’s chocolates. “Look at the ingredient list — it’s not as hauntingly corrupt under the wrapper as you may think,” said Glassman. “Yes, there’s sugar and sunflower oil in most of chocolate treats, but your body will forgive you for a momentary deviation from your usual clean eats.” And two Hershey’s miniatures will only set you back 88 calories with 5 grams of fat.
2. Three Hershey’s Kisses with almonds. They’re another a good choice for a chocolate fix at 70 calories and 4 grams of fat.
3. Snack size Justin’s organic peanut butter cups. Get your Reese’s fix, but healthier: this savory-sweet treat contains 80 calories and 5 grams of fat. “It’s a personal favorite of mine with clean ingredients,” said Glassman. “It’s worth every sweet bite.”
4. Smarties candy. Yes, they’re made out of sugar, but Smarties have only 25 calories and zero grams of fat. Other good options: Dots, gummy bears, Mike & Ike and Twizzlers — all of which have zero to 1 gram of fat.
5. Homemade Jackson Pollock apples. Skip the caramel apples and try these DIY, Pollock-inspired treats using an apple and a splattering of bittersweet chocolate and white baking chocolate. “Just like the name implies,” said Glassman, “these apples are splattered with chocolate — both artistic and delicious.” And for these tasty treats, you won’t need to fight with trick-or-treaters.
