Top 5 Scary Halloween Treats to Avoid
Jennifer Barrow
It’s virtually impossible to avoid sugar during trick-or-treat season. Sweet treats can be part of a healthy diet, but some are more spooky than others -- pass on these 5 types of candy and you’ll be off to a smart start.
Taffy, gellies and other sticky candies can cement themselves to your teeth. This combo of stiff and sticky can damage teeth, cause cavities, and ruin orthodontic work -- it could turn in an expensive dental bill.
An average full-size candy bar will set you back 300 calories! “Fun size” bars come in closer to 80 per piece. Stick to mini bars and packages for built-in portion control.
Excessively hot, sour, or bizarre-flavored candies (earwax-flavored jelly beans, anyone?) are more trick than treat. These types of extreme candies can be dangerous for the mouth, throat, stomach and digestive system.
Those super-sized gumballs, hard candies and gummies are notorious choking hazards. We suggest making them scarce.
Since giving out apples to trick-or-treaters will never be popular – try some of these healthier options:
- Chocolate or yogurt covered raisins
- Cocoa-dusted almonds
- Trail mix with chocolate chips
- (For the older kids) Sugar-free bubble gum
Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition. See Dana's full bio »