Halloween is not really the problem. The problem is the stretch that follows — the bowl by the door, the bag on the counter, the leftovers that migrate to the office, and then Thanksgiving and the Christmas tins. From late October to New Year's, there is candy within arm's reach almost continuously.
Everyone is going to sample some, and that is fine. The useful question is what the choices cost.
Start with the fun-size bar, the most misunderstood item in the bag. Most run 60 to 90 calories. They are not free. Consumer Reports nutritionist Amy Keating names the trap directly: people talk themselves into believing that fun size means they can have a lot of them.
Consumer Reports worked out how much of each favorite adds up to 100 calories. It takes about 14 pieces of candy corn. Or five Starburst. Or roughly 23 M and M's, or four Tootsie Roll Midgees. It takes nearly one whole peanut butter cup.
The sharper number is sugar. Consumer Reports found that 100 calories of these treats carries two to five teaspoons of added sugar. The American Heart Association's limit for a full day is six teaspoons for women and nine for men. Two fun-size bars can spend most of it.
Which points to the one choice that reliably matters. Chocolate with fat in it — the peanut butter cup, the caramel bar — costs more per piece. But registered dietitian Samantha Oldman notes that fat is what makes food satisfying, because it is slowest to leave the stomach. One piece you actually wanted beats three that leave you still looking. Pick the one you like. Then close the bag.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.