It’s spooky how much sugar comes in such a tiny package
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These Are the Halloween Candies With the Most Sugar
TracieMichelle/istockphoto.com
You’ve heard the dentists’ warnings. You understand that neither you nor your kids should be gorging on mountains of candies day after day.
And yet, trick-or-treating time rolls around and the neighborhood’s kids are so ready. They’ve got pillowcases, jack-o-lanterns, and other oversized vessels by their side, ready to hoard as much sugar as they physically can into their bags. During Halloween it’s all a ton of fun. But afterwards, you’re stuck with buckets and piles of sweet treats that tempt and haunt you for weeks after.
Eating one or two pieces of candy a day won’t really affect your overall health. But indulge in one too many one too many times, and you’re in for some trouble.
The worst part of Halloween candies isn’t even the chocolate — eating chocolate can actually be really good for you. It’s not the fat, either. The part of a piece of Halloween candy without any real nutritional benefit is the added sugar. And these candies, of all the popular Halloween candies you’re likely to collect this year, have the most of it.
100 Grand
100 Grand/itemmaster
Arguably one of the most underrated candy bars around, they also have a hefty sugar content for coming in such a small size. While the addition of peanuts and other fillers takes the sugar count down a few notches for Snickers and Mr. Goodbars, these candies can still give your blood sugar a spike.
No matter the flavor, these chewy tart treats are sugar bombs. While Starburst originally came in four basic flavor varieties, there now are dozens of flavor options. Where the forward thinking stopped, however, was at their use of syrupy sugar to add to their taste.
11.5 grams per 4 pieces
Blow Pop
Charms/itemmaster
These lollipops are a dentist’s nightmare. Once you crack open the sticky, artificial exterior, you expose your teeth to a corrosive piece of sugary gum. Hello, cavities.
13 grams per pop
M&M’s
M&M/itemmaster
They come in fun, festive flavors and are undoubtedly a go-to for coffee table bowl fillings and trick-or-treat candies this time of year. But these tiny bit-sized chocolates are filled with more sugar than you might’ve thought. Dense chocolate bars are less sugary than these.
There’s a raging debate over whether candy corn is the greatest thing to ever bless Halloweentime or a disgusting, rubbery travesty. Whichever team you’re on, you should know: The stuff has a ton of processed sugar. Plus, when they come in such a huge bag, who really ever stops at nine pieces?
14 grams per 9-piece serving
Mike & Ike
Mike and Ike/itemmaster
The ingredients of these pill-like candies are basically just sugar, corn syrup, modified food starch, and fruit juice concentrate (with a ton of artificial colors). Let’s face it — there are way better candies out therewith way less sugar.
14 grams per snack pack
Swedish Fish
Swedish Fish/itemmaster
The Swedes may be healthy eaters, but their fish candies aren’t healthy in the slightest. Yeah — Swedish Fish were actually invented in Sweden. Can’t blame America for this sugar overload!
14 grams per 9 pieces
Junior Mints
Junior Mints/itemmaster
Let’s be real: These candies are misnamed. They’re clearly more chocolate than mint. Unlike actually minty things, like toothpaste, they’re not going to clean your teeth. They’ll likely do the opposite — you better brush after digging in to a box of these, because the sugar in every one is bound to dig some cavities.
14.4 grams per snack size box
Skittles
Skittles/itemmaster
That’s not the rainbow you’re tasting — it’s sugar. These are the most sugary candies we could find on our hunt (and one of the most popular). A tiny, fun-size bag has well over half your daily allowance of added sugar, based on government recommendations.