KTK-Nutrition : Enjoy some Halloween candy

Who doesn’t like some left over Halloween candy?  My husband showed me an article
about the “best and worst Halloween candies” apparently ranked by
dietitians.  The article was interesting
and we will give some highlights.  I don’t
expect Halloween candy or any candy to be healthy.  But, if it has some chocolate, there is some
nutritional value to chocolate.  And nuts
– say hello to peanut M&M’s or PayDays. 
Candies that contains some chocolate and/or nuts at least provide some
nutritional value.  Read about what
candies dietitians rated the highest and why.

How do two dietitians rank some popular Halloween candy? 

Dietitian 1 Ranked the top 3 as:

• PayDay – one of
  my favorites.  Ranked number 1 because it
  contains peanuts.  This
  candy bar actually provides some protein, up to 7 grams depending on the size
  you buy.  And surprising for a candy, PayDay
  provides some fiber, about 2 grams.  One
  of these candy bars is not only a sweet treat but the fiber and protein help
  fill you up.  (Nuts are so healthy, see Enjoy
  a handful of nuts a day for good health.)
• Twizzlers – These
  wouldn’t be on my list, but one dietitian ranked them second.  The reason a dietitian gave this candy high
  marks is that is has no fat, especially no saturated fat.  But it does provide a lot of sugar and no real
  nutritional value.  This candy is really
  just a treat.
• York Peppermint Patties
  – These patties are also ranked high because these candies are low in saturated
  fat.  I am not sure what candies are
  actually high in saturated fat but this dietitian focuses a lot on fat
  content.  I like peppermint patties and
  one big advantage is that they have chocolate, which helps boost, at least a little,
  the nutritional value of this candy.  

Dietitian
2 Ranked the top 3 candies as:

• York Peppermint Patties – this dietitian
  notes the ingredients in peppermint patties are mostly “real” ingredients.  The ingredient that you may not recognize is “polyglycerol
  polyricinoleate (PGPR).  But the dietitian
  notes this ingredient is listed as not a chemical to be concerned about by the
  Center for the Science in the Public Interest. 
  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also has this ingredient on the
  GRAS list – the Generally Recognized as Safe list. 
• 100
  Grand – these used to be called the $100,000 Bar.  These bars contain milk chocolate,
  caramel and crisped rice.  Ranked number
  2 as this candy
  has no “questionable artificial ingredients”. 
  
• PayDay – 2 dietitians rank the PayDay in
  their top 3.  I also would rank the
  PayDay high because of the peanuts.  

Peanuts provide protein and some fiber.

 

If your kid comes home with a lot of candy this year, what
are some candies ranked at the bottom by these 2 dietitians?  Skittles goes to the bottom because they say
these candies have no nutritional value and are mostly sugar.  Starburst is another ranked low because for
some it seems addictive.  Also, very high
in sugar.  Not just “sugar” but also corn
syrup.  The oil in these candies is palm
oil, which is high in saturated fat and not a heart healthy oil.  Then there are all the artificial colors:  “red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, and blue 1” so
not the best choice. 

The dietitians recommend you enjoy some Halloween
candy.  Putting treats like candy “off
limits” can be damaging to your and your kids’ “long-term eating habits”.  Instead, enjoy these treats, but in
moderation.  I know some people bring the
extra bags of candy to work for their co-workers to enjoy as they don’t want
the temptation at their house.  And nothing
wrong with that.  Or, pull out some PayDays
and Peppermint Patties and know you are getting some nutritional value. 

Sources:  article
, PayDay , Twizzlers , York Peppermint Patties
, 100
Grand , contain , candy
, colors
Image sources:  Payday    ,
Patties
, Grand

 

source https://betterweightloss.info/ktk-nutrition-enjoy-some-halloween-candy/