Are any Halloween Candies "Healthy"?

By Cam Lewis, 2025

Published 10/30/2023

Although we all know that candy is not the healthiest thing to be eating every day, Halloween is an exception for stuffing our faces with buckets of candy. However, do you ever wonder which candy is the healthiest?

Registered Dietitian and Top Nutrition Coach, Rose Britt proposes that while no candy is traditionally healthy candy with nuts is generally the healthiest. She recommends Peanut M&M’s because they contain a little less than 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of protein, and 9 grams of sugar. Similarly, a serving size of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups has the same nutritional value but more added sugar, and candy, like, snickers does not have any fiber, and only has 1 gram of protein and 9 grams of added sugar. 

Peanut M&M’s are “healthier” than other nut candies because it is mostly made up of milk chocolate. Other candies such as Almond Joy have nuts and chocolate but also have tons of corn syrup which makes them more unhealthy. If you still aren’t into candies with nuts, the best sugary candy for you would be Smarties which has just 25 calories and 6 grams of sugar, compared to Sour Patch Kids which are 110 calories and have 24 grams of sugar in one serving.

The specific Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that we should limit our added sugars to less an 10% of our total daily calories. For children, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children over 2 should not let their added sugar intake get higher than 25 grams a day.

Britt reminds us that these facts are more important for context rather than actual calorie counting. It is most important to let yourself enjoy a special holiday like Halloween and build a positive relationship with food. Have a Happy Halloween and enjoy those treats!!