Trick or treat smarter: How to make your Halloween candy worth the splurge

Halloween isn’t just for kids.

Whether you’re sneaking a few fun-sized pieces from your child’s trick-or-treat haul, grabbing one from the office candy bowl, or enjoying leftovers from your own porch stash, you’re not alone. According to the National Confectioners Association, nearly 79% of parents admit to taking candy from their children after Halloween (and plenty of non-parents do the same).

After all, a little candy is perfectly fine, right? Well, the trick is knowing which treats are really worth the splurge, and how to enjoy them without the sugar crash that can follow.

Do the candy math before you dig in

Let’s pull back the curtain on some Halloween favorites and see what you’re really consuming.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins

Two pumpkins = ~170 calories, 10 grams of fat, 17 grams of sugar
That’s nearly as much fat as a small serving of French fries.

Swap idea: Grab a regular Reese’s Cup (smaller portion) or a dark chocolate version. You still get the peanut butter-chocolate combo, but with less sugar and fat.

Fun-size M&Ms

One fun-size pack ≈ 95 calories, 13 grams of sugar
That’s a lot of sugar for such a small package.

Swap idea: Try dark chocolate–covered almonds instead. You get crunch, chocolate, and a bit of protein to help balance the sugar.

Caramel apple

Once you coat an apple in caramel (and maybe nuts), you push it to ~280 calories and 18 grams of fat. That’s more than a small chicken nugget serving.

Swap idea: Slice an apple and dip it in nut butter or a tablespoon of dark chocolate hummus. You preserve the flavor contrast and skip some of the sugar load.

Fun-size Snickers

At ~80 calories, it doesn’t seem bad – until you’ve had three or four. Sugar and fat add up fast.

Swap idea: One dark chocolate square or a small Milky Way offers a similar treat with less overload.

Why some sweets feel different

Candy doesn’t hit your body the same way every time. Several factors influence how sugar affects you:

• Fat, protein, and fiber slow absorption. A chocolate bar with nuts won’t spike your blood sugar as fast as Nerds Gummy Clusters or Pixy Stix.
• Portion and timing matter. Eat candy alone on an empty stomach, and your blood sugar may spike sharply. Eat it after a meal, and the impact is more gradual.
• Sugar crashes are real. That burst of energy from sweets often leads to a sharp drop, leaving you tired, cranky, or reaching for more candy.

Over time, consistently high intake of added sugars is linked to weight gain, higher blood pressure, and increased risk for cardiovascular issues. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars – for most women, to no more than 100 calories (about 6 teaspoons), and for men, up to 150 calories (about 9 teaspoons) daily. 

Sweet habits matter — not just for one night, but for your everyday health.

Smarter strategies for enjoying candy

Candy doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can enjoy it with intention and still feel good.

• Pick your favorites: Before you dive in, decide on 3–5 pieces you truly want. Eat those slowly. Let the rest sit.
• Avoid snacking by habit: When passing out candy or watching a movie, it’s easy to mindlessly munch. Separate one piece, enjoy it, then step away.
• Add balance to the mix: Pair candy with protein or fiber (nuts, yogurt, etc.). That slows absorption and helps avoid the crash.
• If you’re helping your kids manage their haul: Talk about tradeoffs. Show them sugar math (e.g., “This one has more sugar than that one”). When children see you making mindful choices, it becomes a family lesson.
• Deal with leftovers wisely: Too much leftover candy? Use it. Add a few pieces to trail mix or yogurt parfaits. Donate sealed candy to first responders or community events. Don’t let it sit as temptation.

A real-world perspective

Think of Halloween candy like a mini splurge – occasional, intentional, and enjoyable. It’s all about respecting how your body feels.

Imagine eating two Reese’s Pumpkins late at night after a high-protein dinner. The sugar rise will be slower, and the aftereffects more manageable. Contrast that with snacking on candy in the afternoon and crashing by evening.

Mindful candy choices also affect your mood, sleep, and next-day energy, especially for kids. A sugar spike followed by a crash can make bedtime harder and morning moods tougher to manage.

Where Intermountain Health can help

You've got the candy math. Now if you want help making similar choices all year long, whether for your kids or yourself, Intermountain Health’s registered dietitians are here.

We help families:

• Build snack plans that feel satisfying
• Navigate sugar in holidays, not just Halloween
• Understand how food affects energy, mood, and health metrics like blood sugar
• Make changes that stick (no quick fixes, no militant rules)

Learn more about Intermountain Health’s Nutrition Services.

Taste the treat, skip the regret

This Halloween, choose treats you love, enjoy them slowly, and let the rest fade into background. When your candy choices are smart, you get to enjoy the sweet part and skip the crash. That’s the goal. Because living is about making choices that let you feel your best – today, tomorrow, and beyond.