It’s Pop Quiz Time!
Candy Corn is:
a. Totally gross
b. Completely devoid of nutritional value
c. My favorite Halloween candy
d. All of the above
If you guessed d, then you got it right. Most specifically, I am a fan of Indian Corn, the chocolatey variety “made with real cocoa,” but in a bind the regular stuff, or even those awful sickly sweet pumpkins, will do.
So I’m sitting here with my once-yearly bag of the stuff thinking deep thoughts about Halloween candy. Like, “Why do I find myself drawn to such a disgusting thing?” and “Is it so much worse for me than any other candy?”
I’m pretty sure I’ve got no answer for the first one. I’m not a big fan of sugar-based candy. In fact, candy corn is the only sugar-based candy that I do or would ever buy! But I like it. Period.
As for the second question, I suppose the answer depends on what you’re looking for in a Halloween candy. I’ve already mentioned that candy corn and all its variations are totally empty calories—each little triangle is packed full of zero nutritional value. However, when eaten in moderation, they can also be a very low-calorie treat. For example, my bag of Brach’s Indian Corn says that 22 pieces have 140 calories. Twenty-two pieces is well beyond what my stomach can handle in one sitting, so my snack probably nets me somewhere between 70 and 100 calories. Not so bad.
If you’re interested in making your candy really work for you—giving you a little bit of nutrition while you splurge—then you’ll probably want to go for something from the chocolate and nuts category. One of the better options is a fun-size Snickers Bar. It has 80 calories and 4 grams of fat (seems like a lot for such a small thing, no?!), but it’s also got protein, a tiny bit of fiber, some calcium and other minerals.
By now I’m sure you’re wondering if there’s a point to all my rambling. Here it is:
Candy is Candy.
Whether it’s completely worthless or just sort of worthless, it all falls into the category of “Things We Enjoy But Really Don’t Need to Put Into Our Bodies.” So read labels and think before you eat so you know exactly what you’re getting into. Otherwise it’s amazingly easy to overdo it without even realizing.
And enjoy it! Since you’re not going to have too much (you’re not going to, right?!), make sure you take the time to really, properly enjoy what goes in your mouth.
Happy Halloween, everyone!