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Despite all the spooky costumes, creepy crawly decorations, and scary movies, one of the most frightening parts of Halloween is the thought of what is lurking inside your favorite candies. Candy companies put the trick in trick or treat by stuffing their products full of added sugars, saturated fats, and artificial dyes and flavors. This isn’t to say you can’t enjoy your favorite candy brand from time to time, but with how much candy you and you’ll children will be exposed to in October, it’s understandable that you’d want a few healthy candy options to balance everything out.
One of the biggest concerns with popular candy brands is the amount of added sugar they contain. It is recommended that children and teens consume less than 25 grams of added sugar a day and that adults consume no more than 25-36 grams per day, but a small serving of 12 Sour Patch Kids has 24 grams of added sugar! Many parents are also worried about giving their children artificial dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, which are found in candies like Skittles, Starburst, Twizzlers, and Hot Tamales.
None of this information is to put a damper on your spooky spirit. You and your kids deserve all of the treats that Halloween has to offer, but we want to help you feel a bit more at ease when it comes to your indulgences this October. If you’re interested in Halloween candy that is healthier than many of the popular brands but still tastes delicious, check out our list of the following 17 healthy candy brands. Read on, and for some tips on candies you may want to limit or avoid, read up on these 12 Halloween Candies with the Lowest Quality Ingredients.
Per serving: 130 calories, 6 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 85 mg sodium, 17 g carbs (7 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 11 g protein
Most known for their high-protein, zero-sugar cereals that allow consumers to enjoy the nostalgia of a bowl of cereal and milk without breaking their health goals, Magic Spoon has newly released a rice crispy-like treat just in time for Halloween! The Magic Spoon Treats, which come in Chocolately PB or Marshmallow, give you the same delightful flavors and textures of a rice crispy treat but with only one gram of sugar, seven grams of fiber, and 11 grams of protein in each package.
Per serving: 80 calories, 6 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 40 mg sodium, 8 g carbs (1 g fiber, 5 g sugar), 1 g protein
Children and adults can probably agree that one of the best things to get on Halloween is a classic sleeve of Reese’s Cups. However, the 16 grams of sugar for just two cups is enough to put a damper on your excitement before the night’s just begun. Thankfully, you can satisfy your peanut butter cup cravings with Unreal’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. The fact that each serving contains just five grams of sugar means you can indulge a little extra on Halloween night without all the fright of too much added sugar.
Per serving: 200 calories, 13 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 95 mg sodium, 21 g carbs (9 g fiber, 7 g sugar), 3 g protein
It’s hard to believe that you could have a chocolate bar that tastes delicious while also providing more grams of fiber than sugar. Well, with Gigantic’s Salted Peanut Candy Bar, you’ll be eating nine grams of fiber and seven grams of sugar, meaning you’ll be treating yourself to a chocolatey treat without breaking the sugar bank.
Per serving: 110 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 70 mg sodium, 36 g carbs (9 g fiber, 4 g sugar), 4 g protein
You’ve most likely seen Smart Sweets on the store shelves before, as this brand is one of the better-known “healthy” candy brands. They offer a variety of candy options like lollipops, gummy beans, red vines, Swedish fish, sour gummies, and our personal favorite for Halloween—gummy worms. Unlike traditional gummy worms from Haribo, which have 14 grams of sugar per serving, the worms from Smart Sweets have only four grams! As if that weren’t enough to convince you, you’re also getting nine grams of fiber and four grams of protein per serving.
Per serving: 220 calories, 14 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 120 mg sodium, 20 g carbs (1 g fiber, 16 g sugar), 4 g protein
As we mentioned above, some of the Halloween candies on our list aren’t very low in sugar but are instead made with more trustworthy ingredients than other popular products. For instance, Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups still contain 16 grams of sugar per serving (which is how much you’ll find in Reese’s), but the ingredients list is relatively short and everything is certified organic. So, depending on what’s most important to you, Justin’s may be a great option for you and the kids.
Per serving: 45 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 40 mg sodium, 1 g carbs (0 g fiber, 9 g sugar), 0 g protein
All parents have different concerns when it comes to their children’s trick-or-treat findings. While some are worried about the amount of added sugars or sneaky additives, others may be worried about allergens. YumEarth makes candy products and sells a Halloween Variety Pack, which is completely free of most common allergies such as nuts, gluten, peanuts, dairy, eggs, and soy. They also avoid artificial dyes and are considered non-GMO.
Per serving: 150 calories, 10 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 30 mg sodium, 12 g carbs (2 g fiber, 8 g sugar), 2 g protein
Beyond Good chocolate bars are exactly that—they’re beyond just a tasty treat. They still contain eight grams of sugar, but parents will love the short six-item ingredient list: organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, caramel, organic cocoa butter, sea salt, and vanilla extract.
Per serving: 80 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 85 mg sodium, 39 g carbs (20 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 0 g protein
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It seems too good to be true, but JoyRide is truly as it says on the bag: an uncommon candy. With zero grams of sugar and a whopping 20 grams of fiber, the Sour Fruit Gummies from JoyRide are the candy to indulge in this Halloween season. Are sour gummies not your thing? You can try any of their candy options like their Berry Gummy Guppies, Peachy Mango Rings, or Red Licorice Twists.
Per serving: 160 calories, 11 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 100 mg sodium, 14 g carbs (3 g fiber, 9 g sugar), 2 g protein
When you want chocolate for you and the kids, Theo products are the way to go. Most of their bars still have a decent amount of sugar, including their Sea Salt 70% Dark Chocolate, but with only a handful of trustworthy ingredients (cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, salt) you can rest assured that this chocolate will be a reliable sweet treat. Along with a short ingredient list, this bar is gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, and soy-free.
Per serving: 80 calories, 6 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 40 mg sodium, 7 g carbs (<1 g fiber, 4 g sugar), 2 g protein
As you can see from our list, there are plenty of healthier alternatives to the classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and choosing the best one for you depends on what your personal goals are. The SkinnyDipped Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups have only four grams of sugar per serving, and those who want to avoid sugar alcohols and Stevia will be happy to know these don’t contain either.
Per serving: 45 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 0 mg sodium, 13 g carbs (4 g fiber, 5 g sugar), 0 g protein
Tazzy candies are any parent’s dream when it comes to Halloween candy. Their Watermelon Lollipops have only five grams of sugar, have two grams of fiber, and are completely void of sugar alcohols, stevia, and corn syrup. The company also avoids the use of artificial dyes and instead uses vegetable juice for coloring.
Per serving: 80 calories, 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 0 mg sodium, 8 g carbs (2 g fiber, 4 g sugar), 1 g protein
A mini chocolate bar with only four grams of sugar and seven ingredients? Sign us up. Nib mor uses organic ingredients in their products, and these Sea Salt Dark Chocolate bars are non-GMO, plant-based, and good for kids who are gluten-free. Another perk? They’re individually wrapped, making them a perfect choice for Halloween festivities.
Per serving: 70 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 10 mg sodium, 36 g carbs (20 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 4 g protein
Whether you’re in the mood for something sweet or something a bit more sour, BEHAVE has you covered. Not only are BEHAVE gummies delicious, but they’re low in sugar and calories and extremely high in fiber, meaning they have low net carbs. Because of this, these candies are diabetic-friendly and won’t spike your blood sugar after eating them, and they accomplish this without using any artificial flavorings at all!
Per serving: 90 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 70 mg sodium, 25 g carbs (4 g fiber, 16 g sugar), 0 g protein
The truth is, these Fruit-tella gummies won’t be for everyone. They’re still pretty high in sugar with 16 grams, but what puts them on our list is the fact that they’re made with real fruit purees. Parents who are concerned about the quality of the ingredients in their kid’s candy may like the fact there is real fruit involved, and that these candies are void of high fructose corn syrup.
Per serving: 170 calories, 13 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 115 mg sodium, 13 g carbs (2 g fiber, 9 g sugar), 3 g protein
Just in time for Halloween, Chocolove released its Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Bites shaped like pumpkins. Even though these still contain nine grams of sugar, it’s better than the 17 grams you’d get with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkin. Not only that, but you’ll be avoiding the artificial flavors found in Reese’s as well.
Per serving: 90 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 0 mg sodium, 42 g carbs (8 g fiber, 4 g sugar), 0 g protein
You may be a fan of Sour Patch Kids, but we can bet you’re not a fan of the 27 grams of sugar inside. To get that same sour and sweet kick in a healthier form, try Snack Owl Sour Novas. These cute sour stars contain only four grams of sugar, but we will warn you that the candies do contain Blue #1 and Yellow #5, something you won’t see in other candies on the list. If that’s a concern of yours, you can try the BEHAVE Sour Bears or JoyRide Sour Gummies.
Per serving: 80 calories, 6 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat), 0 mg sodium, 5 g carbs (1 g fiber, 4 g sugar), 0 g protein
You can rest easy this Halloween with a product like the Alter Eco Classic Dark Truffles. Soy-free, gluten-free, organic, non-GMO, and free of additives and artificial sweeteners, these truffles pack in a ton of delicious flavor for only four grams of sugar. They’re also individually wrapped and perfect for throwing into a trick-or-treat bag.
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