Happy Halloween! Every year many of us transform into our favorite character by dressing up and heading out into our neighborhood with a bag or a pillowcase to collect as much Halloween candy as we can. What we don’t realize is the more candy we obtain, the more sugar we tend to consume. For example, one serving of candy corn contains 32 grams of sugar and an average serving of sugar in a candy bar is between 23 grams to 26 grams. Overeating chocolate or candy that is high in fructose syrup can lead to belly aches, headaches, and an increase in body fat.
Nurse Kim shares a few healthy tips to avoid the negative effects of eating too much candy and to help other trick-or-treaters eat less sugar:
- Save the wrappers to help keep a headcount of how much candy you ate
- Trick-or-treat with water bottles or low-sugar juice boxes to keep you hydrated and feeling full
- Limit your candy intake to a few pieces a day or 1 candy bar per day
- Consume healthier candy from the brands UnReal or YumEarth!
- Hand out toys, spider rings, stickers, or glow sticks
- Little pretzel bags, trail mix, or boxes of raisins are great alternatives to hand out and consume
More importantly, have fun and be safe this Halloween!
