Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. My mom loved creating halloween costumes for my sister and me.  As I look back to those costumes now, I realize a theme to my costumes…food.  Forget cartoon characters, ghosts, or witches…I was much more intersted in costumes like my Hershey’s Kiss, bag of jelly beans, or piece of sushi costume. There is no shock this trick-or-treater turned into a food-loving dietitian. 

Halloween kicks off the holiday season. For some, this time of the year can be the hardest when it comes to making healthly choices.  

Are you hoping for a record breaking year of trick-or-treaters to relieve you of your candy stash?  Well, if you have leftovers or haven’t purchased your candy yet, I have some favorites for treats that aren’t “calorie scary.”

All treats are less than 100 calories…

#1) Twizzlers: the snack size version contains less than 1 g of fat and 100 calories

#2) Candy corn…no, we can’t count it as a vegetable, but we can count it as fat-free candy.  18 pieces of candy corn ~100 calories.

#3) Popcorn. Act II Popcorn sells their popcorn in Halloween popcorn balls.  Each popcorn ball contains 100 calories. Popcorn is a whole-grain food and contains fiber. What a perfect mid-afternoon snack!

#4) Hot Cocoa. As the nights get colder, there is nothing better than some good hot cocoa with marshmallows or whipped cream.  Many hot cocoa packets run anywhere from 35-100 calories per packet. Some have added calcium as well. Comforting hot cocoa is the best nutritious night-cap!

Have a great Halloween!