By Tasha Friedman
Contributing Writer
Candy is the best part of Halloween, some say.
Being able to dress up and walk around collecting candy has been a part of many people’s childhoods. Seeing who can get the most candy out of your group or friends or amoung your siblings is a fun activity when trick-or-treating.
What most people don’t know is how much candy is bought and consumed each year on Halloween night. Candy sales rise each year by one to three percent, and the average person spends about seven dollars on candy each year.
The amount of candy bought is tremendous, and that first seven dollars spent on candy might only be the first trip to the store for candy. The price adds up as you run out or eat all the candy.
The amount of sugar in candy is incredible. In one peanut butter cup there are 10 grams of sugar, which is the same as a small bag of Linder’s chocolate chip cookies.
Sugar consumption can lead to cavities, cardiovascular disease, and high levels of triglyceride, and some of these can lead to diabetes. The reason so much candy is consumed on Halloween is that the candy is so addictive.
Parents are starting to take some of the candy away from their kids and replacing it with a toy. “The body’s ability to increase its tolerance for sugar might explain why some people experience a sugar high and others don’t,” suggests Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at Benioff Children’s Hospital at the University of California, San Francisco.
However, scientific research has not proven that the amount of sugar on Halloween gives children a sugar high, followed by a sugar crash.
Parents still believe that their children should not have a lot of candy on Halloween and look towards alternatives. How much candy are you eating?
The best and worst candy to eat this Halloween:
In order to eat healthier candy, go for candy lower in calories and fat. While these candies may be high in sugar, all candy is.
Therefore it is better to go for the basic sugary candy than those packed with extra things.
Another good tip is to eat minature versions and limit yourself to only one.
A good suggestion is peanut M&Ms. Most of the fat comes from the peanuts and there is only a thin layer of chocolate.
The best candy to eat this Halloween includes:
1. 3 Musketeers (mini)
2. Lemonheads
3. York Peppermint Pattie
4. Peeps Pumpkins
5. Tootsie Caramel Apple Pop
6. Dum Dum Lollipop
7. Hershey Kisses
8. Candy Corn
9. Peanut M&Ms
10. Twizzlers
When purchasing candy, try not to purchase anything that has too many added ingreidents. The more fattening ingredients, the more fat in the candy.
Candy has a tendency to be sold in large quanitites or huge amount of servings per bar. Be careful not to consume a full candy bar.
The worst candy to eat this Halloween includes:
1. Butterfinger minis
2. Starbursts
3. Snickers
4. Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkin
5. Peanut Butter M&Ms
6. Andes Mints
7. Full-size chocolate bars
8. Whoppers
9. Reese’s Fast Break
10. Twix
