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Thursday, November 1, 2007
What is “Eating Healthy” After Halloween?
It’s great to be calorie conscious, especially when you’re being adventurous and trying some new candy from the Trick-or-Treat bag. You don’t want to over do it, and lets face it, some items are surprisingly “affordable” when it comes to calories (like gummis, marshmallows or SweeTarts). But then there are the articles and pieces on the morning talk shows. “Healthy Choices” in Halloween candy. And they’ve all got it wrong. They keep talking about caloric density as if it’s low calories that makes a piece of candy healthier? I’m sorry, if there’s one thing worse than a chunk of sweetened partially hydrogenated oils it’s a hunk of pure sugar! (One show said that a 3 Musketeers is a healthier choice than a Snickers Bar ... I suppose if the goal is to have as many empty wrappers for the same caloric cost. The Snickers will be more satisfying as it has a blend of sugars, fat and protein. The 3 Musketeers is mostly sugar and as many folks know, that just leads to a later crash.)
Then you sit aghast that the little packet of Peanut M&Ms has 80 calories ... that adds up to 142 calories per ounce. Whoa! That’s almost 50% more! But there’s stuff you actually want in Peanut M&Ms ... things like protein, calcium, traces of iron, even some fiber! And fat, yeah, there’s fat in there from the peanuts and the chocolate. Peanuts have omega 3 fatty acids in them. Stearic acid in chocolate has been shown to be cholesterol neutral and may be beneficial to other inflammatory markers. Is it health food? No ... but it’s not the demon that these morning talk show people make it out to be in moderation. And those little packets, they’re great for portion control! If you’re going to eat something, if you’re going to set aside your calories, please, for the love of all that’s good and tasty, eat something you like.
Let’s drop the pretension that low calorie makes something healthy. Nutrition makes things healthy and your diet should be balanced. There’s nothing wrong with a pile of peanuts, raisins or some crisped rice with some chocolate thrown in. (Honestly, I think a box of Goobers is more nutritious than a cupcake, but I’m not a registered dietitian.) If I had to be stranded on an island with one candy as my only sustenance for the rest of my life it would not be any of the “healthier” choices devoid of nutrition. I’d probably pick chocolate covered almonds. POSTED BY Cybele AT 2:24 pm
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Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.
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Comment by
Justin on 11/01/07 at 4:53 pm #
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Comment by
Breigh on 11/03/07 at 5:31 am #
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.Well said; a lot of articles/shows get the fact that if you consumer more calories than you burn, you gain weight. Unfortunately, they completely miss the fact that sugars burn a lot faster than fat. Eating foods higher in fat and protein (and consequently calories) like nuts, some chocolate and nougat will give you energy and keep you more satisfied than eating smarties, nerds or cotton candy. Being satisfied leads to less cravings and lowers overall consumption. I’m not a nutrionist either, but I did lose 70 lbs. (with exercise and diet) and still enjoy my candy. Cakes and pastries are definitely not my thing… if I were stranded on a desert island I’d go with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
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I’m not a dietitian, either, but I know that sugary, lower calorie candy spikes blood sugar levels, and gives no nutritional value! I indulged in a Reese’s and a FunSize package of Peanut M&M’s on Halloween, and then I was satisfied. Everything in moderation. Thanks for the article, it’s well said.
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