The Healthiest (And Unhealthiest) Halloween Candy May Surprise You

Along with the many frightful and funny costumes that emerge on Halloween, you're also likely to see bite-sized, bingeable versions of your favorite candies on the store shelves. While your diet might not allow for a whole Snickers bar, those thumb-sized Snickers can be quite tempting. Like many favorite foods in an American diet, Halloween candy has a lot of added sugar and other ingredients that aren't very healthy.

When choosing candy, Registered Dietitian at Top Nutrition Coaching Alexis Law tells Health Digest she doesn't like to label foods as healthy or unhealthy but instead looks at the overall balance of your diet. Some candy can be part of a balanced diet, but too much candy can cause weight gain, a drop in your sex drive, and more sugar cravings.

"If you eat a candy that is more nutritious but eat it until uncomfortably full, it probably would have been better to just pick your favorite candy and enjoy it as a part of a balanced diet in moderation," Law said. Law and Aspen Dental Dentist Dr. Whitney White share their recommendations with Health Digest on which types of Halloween candy to choose.

White says the better choices for candy are those that are lower in sugar and don't stick to your teeth. "Dark chocolate, for example, is a better option for your oral health since it has less sugar," she said. A 43-gram Hershey Milk Chocolate bar has 25 grams of sugar compared to the 13 grams of sugar in a similar serving of a Lindt 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate bar. "Sugar-free gum is also a better choice since it can help stimulate saliva production, and saliva helps to neutralize acids in the mouth that would erode the enamel of your teeth," White said. 

Law suggests looking for candy that has a little bit of protein (such as nuts) to help you feel full and considering sugar-free or low-fat versions of your favorite candy. Snickers now makes a Hi-Protein Peanut Butter bar that has 20 grams of protein and 4 total grams of sugar. Be careful, though, because the 9 grams of sugar alcohol can make you gassy.

Law adds that you can have a little of your favorite candy by cutting back on other foods or portions that day. "The more satisfied you are when you eat the foods you like, you are less likely to overeat or obsess over foods that can lead to a binge," she said.

White cautions her patients to limit hard candies because that sugar stays in your mouth longer and invites more cavities. You could also chip a tooth when biting into a hard candy. Gummy and sticky candy also cause more sugar to remain on your teeth. Caramel and nougat might be delectable, but they're also bad for your teeth. "Many of these candies combine sugar with sticky textures that cling to teeth much like gummy candies," White said.

Although Law doesn't outlaw specific candies, she says any candy can be unhealthy if it tempts you to overindulge. You can easily eat too much candy if you're eating it while doing other things, such as watching a movie or scrolling through your phone. She encourages you to be mindful when you're eating any candy. "Ways to stay mindful when eating candy could be having it at a meal where there are other nutritious foods or pairing it with a protein at a snack to help keep you full and not overdo it on the candy," Law said. Breaking your candy into smaller serving sizes may also help with portion control.