Candy Recipes - Beginner, Christmas & More | Taste of Home (2024)

FAQs

What can I give my kids instead of candy? ›

Some good options are boxes of raisins, string cheese, bags of pretzels, apple slice bags, mini bags of popcorn and more. Just remember to get pre-packaged snacks from the store – many parents are leery about their kids eating homemade snacks from strangers. Drinks – Trick-or-treating is hard work!

Candy with nuts is your healthiest option, but if you're into sugary sweets, Smarties are the healthiest option. One serving of Smarties contains just 25 calories and 6 grams of sugar. For comparison, Sour Patch Kids contain 110 calories and 24 grams of sugar in one serving.

Highlights: Most Popular Candies Statistics

Among children aged 6-11, Skittles are the most preferred candy. In 2021, Snickers was the first favorite chocolate brand in the United States with sales approximately $412 million. As of 2021, Kit Kat sales in the US amounted to approximately $306.51 million.

"Nerds Candy leads the ranking this Halloween with a notable 93g of sugar per 100g." the report said, "With over 135,000 pounds of Nerds produced every single day, a recommended serving size of 15g is advised due to its substantial sugar content, representing 27% of the daily recommended added-sugar intake."

They won't notice if you eat one or two. Or two or three. But before you dive in, remember that you shouldn't get more than 10% of your daily calories from added sugar -- that's around 200 if you typically aim for 2,000 a day -- and candy is loaded with it.

Sugar should not constitute more than 10% of your daily energy intake. Assuming an adult's caloric intake is 2000 calories, we should not consume more than 200 calories per day from sugar, which equates to 10 teaspoons of sugar, 4 marshmallows, 4 bonbons, or 4 candies.

But at 120 calories and 16 grams of sugar for three pieces, Twizzlers aren't a terrible choice if you eat less than the serving size. Cassetty suggests limiting yourself to one Twizzler (so that you stay at about five grams of sugar) and taking your time eating it.

What can I do instead of eating candy? ›

Fresh fruit

If you are worried that eating sweets can lead to weight gain, fresh fruit is considered a healthy alternative. In fact, fresh fruits have a naturally sweet taste and are packed with nutrients important for health, including fiber, essential minerals and vitamins.

Fresh fruit is the top choice for many seeking an alternative to candy. Fruits and berries are naturally sweet but low in calories, and they're packed with vitamins and nutrients that can help reduce the risk of developing health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.