For the month of October Listing Toward Forty is Listing Toward Halloween, featuring a variety of Halloween posts including many by guest authors. This post is by Melissa diLeonardo.
If you follow me on social media (and you should), you know I recently polled my fans, friends, and connections about their favorite Halloween candy. Several pals responded and joked I would probably take this information and spin it into a post about the “healthiest” Halloween treats.
WRONG!
You like that snack-sized Snickers? GET IT! And your Kit Kat and your Skittles – ENJOY! Just remember, “fun-size” does not mean calorie free.
Below are my peeps’ top eight favorite Halloween candies and their calorie content:
- Snickers, 80 calories
- M&M’s (plain), 88 calories
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, 88 calories (mini, 44 calories)
- Butterfinger, 85 calories
- Tootsie Roll (midgee), 23 calories (mini-midgee, 11 calories)
- Twix, 50 calories
- Candy Corn (11 pieces), 70 calories
- Skittles, 80 calories
Under 100 calories?! Hooray! These treats are now looking really good. However, the tricky thing about them is we often fall prey to these low calorie counts and overeat. Indulging in “one piece” from little Billy’s loot bag or “just one” from the candy bowl in the office lounge can start to add up. A tiny Baby Ruth (85 calories) certainly won’t kill you, but following up with a mini Heath Bar (74 calories) and a petite Almond Joy (80 calories) will certainly frighten your diet or nutritional plan.
To help you understand the impact of these seasonal little devils, here is a fun-sized list of ways you can burn 100 calories.
- Pushing a stroller, 35 minutes
- Walking your dog, 26 minutes
- Walking at 3mph, 25-30 minutes
- Physically playing with your kids, 23 minutes
- Raking leaves, 23 minutes
- Elliptical Trainer (moderate intensity), 20 minutes
- Weight Lifting (moderate intensity), 15 minutes
- Running, 9 minutes
So go on. Unwrap that Tootsie Pop (60 calories) and give it a go! Just understand that tricky little treats can add up. Stay on the good-food path and be mindful this Halloween. Be active (every day). Don’t let your favorite snack-sized sweets haunt your big picture.
Melissa diLeonardo is a ReebokONE Brand Ambassador and 2013 Chicago Reader’s Best Personal Trainer. A global finalist in the 2013 Life Fitness Personal Trainer to Watch Contest, Melissa is also a Registered Yoga Teacher, Certified Group Fitness Instructor, and Assistant Coach at CrossFit Chicago Lincoln Park. Check her out online and follow her on twitter, @mdsapphire. PEACE!
All Halloween posts from this series can be found here.
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Kim Z. Dale 