Have you ever wondered how many calories you consume on Halloween night? Some news sources have estimated that children consume between 3500 and 7000 calories from Halloween candy each year. But what about the adults who hand out the candy? How many calories do we consume when we hand out Halloween candy to trick or treaters?
Halloween Candy Calories
To get an estimate of your total calorie consumption on Halloween night, consider the calorie counts of the most popular Halloween candies.
Most fun size treats provide 60-100 calories.
- Snickers Fun Size: 80 calories per bar
- Sweet Tarts: 60 calories in 6 candies
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups: 105 calories per cup
- Almond Joy: 80 calories per bar
- Milky Way: 80 calories per bar
- Tootsie Roll: 140 calories in 6 minis
- M&Ms: 180 calories per 3-pack serving
- Hershey's Chocolate Bar: 77 calories per fun size bar
Calories Consumed on Halloween Night
The actual calorie counts for the most popular Halloween candies don't seem very high. In fact, some dieters might not worry about the calories in these mini treats. But we usually don't eat just one.
To get the real calorie count of your Halloween night you need to think about how much candy you eat between visits from ghosts and goblins. Do you eat two treats each hour? Or do you grab three or four candies?
This pattern of mindless eating could add up to between 640 – 1,280 calories if you hand out candy for 4 hours. And that doesn't even include the candy you grab from your kids' stash when they come home at the end of the night.
How to Eat Less on Halloween Night
The calorie count of each piece of Halloween candy is not very high. But the practice of mindless eating can ruin your diet. Your best strategy to eat less on Halloween night is to put aside 3 or 4 treats for yourself to enjoy. Pace yourself and eat one treat per hour.
In addition, prepare a few filling high protein snacks to keep yourself feeling full and satisfied so you don't raid the candy bowl. If you love the peanuty taste of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, try celery stalks with peanut butter, instead. If you love fruity sweet treats like Starburst, freeze fresh berries to munch on throughout the night.
But, if you still overindulge, don't panic. Figure out the exercise cost of your Halloween treats and spend a few extra minutes at the gym in the weeks after the holiday.
Got a strategy to eat less on Halloween night? Visit my Facebook page and let me know or follow me on Twitter and tweet me the tip.
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