Whether you’re looking for quick information, or want something to impress your friends at dinner, here’s our Featured 5 of the Week!

5. Fun-Sized Snickers Bar

Ok, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “How can a Snickers bar possibly be one of the healthier candies?!” Bear with us for a minute.

When it comes to healthier candy bars, you want to look for ones that have less sugar and less saturated fat. Snickers satisfy both of these categories when you opt for the “fun size” because let’s be honest, who needs a big candy bar anyway? A fun-sized Snickers is 80 calories and only has 1.5 grams of saturated fat and 9 grams of sugar. Many other candy bars are almost made up of entirely sugar, so this is a major improvement. This is also less sugar than some protein and granola bars which we perceive to be healthier for us!

Also, we’ve seen the commercials about satisfying your hunger with a Snickers. Although we always recommend a healthier option to satisfy hunger, Snickers has filling protein to leave you feeling more satisfied longer and less likely to go for more. So, on Halloween, we say it’s ok to indulge in one!

4. Peanut M&M’s

Again, you’re probably thinking, “another candy?! I thought these were terrible for our health!” Well, they’re bad if you eat them every day, but for a sweet treat on Halloween, they’re one of the better options.

The first word that sticks out to us is peanuts, and we know that nuts and legumes can be good for us when consumed in moderation. Because peanuts contain both protein and fiber, they help prevent blood sugar spikes that can lead to us wanting more and more. One fun-sized pack is 90 calories and contains 2 grams of saturated fat and 9 grams of sugar, so of course, we recommend to keep it at one for the night.

Think of this as a sweet treat while still getting some necessary nutrients for the day. Just remember, it’s a slippery slope to overindulging, so keep it at just one!

3. Better-For-You Gummy Candies

We all love a good gummy bear or Sour Patch Kid, but they are some of the worst candies for you. This may be a good alternative for you!

One brand that we just came across, Smart Sweets (sold on Amazon) is the healthier version of the gummy candies we know and love. They come in 6 different flavors – Sweet Fish, Sweet Chews, Peach Rings, Sour Blast Buddies, Gummy Bears, and Sour Gummy Bears, and contain only 80 calories and 3 grams of sugar per pack! The candies are sweetened entirely from Stevia and don’t contain any sugar alcohols either, giving them 76% less sugar than regular gummy candies.

There are lots of other brands of healthier gummies on the web, so be sure to check them all out!

2. Dark Chocolate

Our favorite! We’ve said it before, a small amount of dark chocolate may be able to help your body more than hurt it!

Studies have shown that eating a small amount of dark chocolate (about 6 grams a day, or 1 to 2 squares) has numerous benefits for our health, including lowering one’s risk of heart disease and diabetes. Dark chocolate contains flavanols that support nitric oxide production in the body, which helps improve blood flow. They also have been shown to lower blood pressure and inflammation. Flavanols can also help lower the risk of diabetes because it helps increase the production of insulin.

Dark chocolate is high in calories at 170 and in saturated fat with 7 grams, so it’s important to consume in moderation. Too much could lead to weight gain. But, on Halloween, feel free to indulge in this beneficial sweet!

1. Fruit!

Yes, fruit! Fresh fruit can be just as sweet and satisfying as candy on Halloween, especially if you prepare it in a fun way!

Fresh fruit, like berries, oranges, apples, etc., have natural sugar, making them a sweet treat without all the negative outcomes of added sugar and sugar alcohols. They also contain a lot of good nutritional components, like potassium and fiber, and vitamins and minerals, like vitamins A, B6, and C, and magnesium. Fruit is good for our digestive systems, our immune systems, and our overall health!

And, there are so many fun ways to use fruit to create different spooky things on Halloween! Below are a few of our favorites:

Pumpkin Fruit Cups                    Monster Teeth

Ghost Banana Pops                     “Candy Corn” Parfaits