23 Halloween candies ranked from healthiest to unhealthiest
Spooky season has arrived, and whether you dress in costume with full abandon or turn off the porch lights first thing on Halloween night, there's one thing that's unavoidable this time of year: candy.
In fact, the National Retail Federation estimates that consumers will spend $3.5 billion on candy in 2024.
There's candy sitting out in the office breakroom, every grocery store end cap, and in your kid's trick-or-treat bag (will they really notice if you grab a few fun size bars for yourself?). In other words, the temptation to reach for a handful of sweets instead of a healthy snack is inescapable.
But when you're working on maintaining a lifestyle with healthy habits, it's important to balance nutritious food choices with the joy of having a sweet treat every now and then. While it should go without saying that candy generally doesn't have much to offer in the way of nutritional value, there are a few things to keep in mind if you're looking to make a healthier choice.
Hers ranked 23 of the most popular Halloween candies in the U.S., based on pounds sold in each state, according to CandyStore.com. Using nutrition labels, the candies were ranked based on their nutrition content.
Ingredients to Watch When Choosing Halloween Candy
Here are the categories we looked at (and why):
- Protein: Higher protein intake is shown to increase feelings of fullness. Grabbing a candy that has a higher protein content could keep you from going back for more once you've satisfied your sweet tooth.
- Calories: Increased snacking is likely to lead to weight gain, especially with higher levels of consumption and lower-quality food choices—like candy.
- Sugar: Over-consuming sugar is linked to higher risks of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Limiting high-sugar candies could lower your risk of these diseases over time.
- Fat: The World Health Organization recommends a daily maximum fat intake of 30% of your overall calories for the day. Paying attention to fat content in different Halloween candy options helps you know when to stop snacking.
- Trans Fat: Research reveals that trans fatty acids are a major contributor to cardiovascular disease, which is the current leading cause of death.
- Fiber: Research shows that dietary fiber intake not only promotes weight loss, but also helps individuals stick to their diets. Fiber has also been shown to slow the absorption of sugar in the body, slowing your glucose response. In other words, it may reduce insulin resistance.
Key Findings
- Based on ingredients, the better candy options were all hard or chewy candies, including Jolly Ranchers, Salt Water Taffy, Blow Pops, and Hot Tamales.
- Only one chocolate candy made it in the healthier top half. (Spoiler alert: it's Butterfinger.)
- The bottom half of the list contained mostly chocolate-based sweets, with Skittles as the exception.
- Reese's and M&M's are the most popular Halloween candies, but rank 15th and 18th, respectively.
Ready for the full list? Here's how Halloween candy stacked up.
Halloween Candy Ranked from Most to Least Healthy
1. Jolly Ranchers
2. Salt Water Taffy
3. Blow Pops and Hot Tamales (tied)
5. Swedish Fish and Tootsie Pops (tied)
7. Candy Corn
8. Dubble Bubble Gum
9. Butterfinger and Sour Patch Kids (tied)
11. Lemonhead
12. Starburst
13. Almond Joy and Kit Kat (tied)
15. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
16. Hershey's Mini Bars
17. Hershey's Kisses
18. M&M's
19. Skittles
20. Milky Way
21. Snickers
22. Twix
23. 3 Musketeers
Halloween Candy Nutrition: Trends and Insights
Next, Hers broke down these candies into more detail to find the best and worst treats in each nutritional category.
Which Halloween Candy Has the Most Protein?
Candy with the most protein
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- Hershey's Mini Bars
- Snickers
Candy with the least protein
The following candies have no protein listed on their nutrition labels: Blow Pops, Candy Corn, Double Bubble Gum, Hot Tamales, Jolly Ranchers, Lemonhead, Salt Water Taffy, Sour Patch Kids, Starbursts, Swedish Fish, and Tootsie Pops.
Which Halloween Candy Has the Most Calories?
Candy with the most calories
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- M&Ms
- Kit Kat
Candy with the least calories
- Jolly Ranchers
- Dubble Bubble Gum and Blow Pops (tied)
- Hot Tamales
Which Halloween Candy Has the Most Sugar?
Candy with the most sugar
- Dubble Bubble Gum
- Sour Patch Kids
- Skittles
Candy with the least sugar
- Jolly Ranchers
- Salt Water Taffy
- Butterfinger
Which Halloween Candy Has the Most Fat?
Candy with the most fat
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- Hershey's Mini Bars
- Hershey's Kisses
Candy with the least fat
The following candies have no fat listed on their nutrition labels: Blow Pops, Candy Corn, Dubble Bubble Gum, Hot Tamales, Jolly Ranchers, Lemonhead, Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, and Tootsie Pops.
Which Halloween Candy Has the Most Trans Fat?
Only five candies on this list contain trans fat: 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, Skittles, Snickers, and Twix.
Which Halloween Candy Has the Most Fiber?
Candy with the most fiber
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- Almond Joy
- Kit Kat
Candy with the least fiber
The following candies have no fiber listed on their nutrition labels: Blow Pops, Candy Corn, Dubble Bubble Gum, Hershey Kisses, Hershey's Mini Bars, Hot Tamales, Jolly Ranchers, Lemondhead, M&Ms, Salt Water Taffy, Skittles, Starburst, Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, and Tootsie Pops.
Methodology: How Scores Were Calculated
Here's how Hers ranked 23 types of Halloween candy from best to worst from a nutritional standpoint (while recognizing that none of these processed candies are actually "healthy"). First, the most popular seasonal candies were identified using data from CandyStore.com. Their rankings were based on the number of pounds sold in each state. Hers pulled every candy that placed first, second, or third on this list from all 50 states.
From there, nutrition labels were used to calculate the amount of protein, calories, sugar, fiber, fat, trans fat, and fiber in each ounce of candy. This is an important distinction since serving sizes can vary greatly for different types of sweets. Additionally, a 2x multiplier for trans fat was used because of its direct association with heart disease. While certainly not considered health foods, the best-rated candies using this methodology prioritized higher protein and fiber levels and lower amounts of calories, sugar, and fat. Ultimately, however, the options with more protein also had more calories and fat, leaving these choices toward the bottom of the list.
How to Enjoy a Healthy Halloween
You can still enjoy the flavors of the Halloween season without breaking your health routine. It may be helpful to create a weight loss or maintenance plan in advance and get a sense of when and where you want to indulge. Here are some more ideas to help you successfully navigate Halloween and all the treats that come with it.
- Pair candy with fiber. If you expect to eat more sugar throughout October, consider pairing it with additional fiber because of its impact on helping to slow absorption of sugar. So eating some raw veggies, nuts, or seeds before you snack on candy could be beneficial.
- Host with healthy snacks. If you're hosting a party or contributing to a potluck, include some healthy food options along with any treats. You and your guests can fill up with more nutritious options, then enjoy your favorite Halloween candies as a treat. Search for seasonal inspiration to turn healthy, whole foods into a thematic party centerpiece that you and your guests will love. (Think apple slices and peanut butter transformed into monsters' mouths or bananas and chocolate chips becoming ghosts.)
- Practice moderation. This tip applies to both parties and Halloween night. Using the nutritional values and serving sizes, find a portion size and frequency that feels right for your health goals.
Halloween Treats Don't Have to Haunt You
Understanding what's in your favorite Halloween candy is a great way to monitor your intake and mindfully enjoy treats throughout the season.
This story was produced by Hers and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.