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How to Manage the Halloween Sweet Tooth
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As if the fall didn't offer enough food temptation with tailgate parties, creamy soups, pies and rich hot chocolate, Halloween has to swoop in and drop a big pile of candy in our laps. And cupcakes. And cookies.
Go ahead and tell yourself right now that all that sugar is simply not worth it. Believe those words when you say them because they're true.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest a discretionary budget of 250 calories per day to cover sugar, saturated fat and alcohol. That doesn't quite cover a 20-ounce soft drink, let alone a Halloween candy bender. That's about eight Hershey's kisses, four fun-size 3 Musketeers, two Reese's peanut butter cups or six strawberry Twizzlers.
In one cup of sugar there are 774 calories, and when that's not burned off, that sugar converts to .2 pounds of fat. To burn off those sugar calories, you'll need to run 90 minutes at a medium intensity on a treadmill. Something to think about when you're curled up with the candy corn.
So armed with this new knowledge about sugar, what can you do to manage, and even indulge, your sweet tooth a bit, without any scary repercussions from the holiday celebrations? There are a few ways to survive Halloween, and really, they're quite manageable.
Don't Play Favorites.
Buy the candy for trick-or-treaters that you don't like. That way you're not drooling over a bag of peanut butter cups or taffy that you have no intentions of resisting.
Go Sugar-Free.
This variety of candy has really improved in taste and quality in recent years. You might be surprised. Just remember the calories still count!
Go Candy-Free.
Treat the neighborhood kids to a granola bar, box of raisins or even fresh fruit. You won't have piles of candy lying around the house and their parents will probably thank you, too.
Prefer Packaged.
Don't stick your hand in an open bowl of candy corn or other loose candies, as there is no portion control. Instead, choose only the packaged mini candies and follow the serving suggestions on the label. If it says two Milky Ways, then only have two, and consider that one might be just as satisfying.
Stay Hydrated.
You're bound to be surrounded by hot chocolate, hot cider, mulled wine, coffees with pumpkin creamers, egg nog and more. Limit your consumption of these holiday beverages to one per party, and spend the rest of your time having water.
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