For all of the decorations and costumes and carved pumpkins, Halloween is for most kids (and grown-ups) one big sugar rush. It's all about the candy: who has the best selection, how much you can carry, and which pieces to eat first. But if you or your child has diabetes, how can you participate in the fun without sending blood glucose levels soaring?
For Kids, Halloween Is Not Off Limits
Halloween sure places a lot of importance on sweets. Candy may not have played a major role in celebrations until the 1950s, but today it’s a billion-dollar Halloween business—and a source of stress for parents of kids with diabetes. But with proper planning, you can sidestep worry while your kids with type 1 diabetes enjoy the festivities (and, yes, even some sweet treats).The American Diabetes Association magazine, Diabetes Forecast, has articles to help parents navigate a holiday that can often times be scary, in more ways than one:
5 Tips for Enjoying Halloween with Diabetes
Enjoying Halloween When You Have Diabetes
Tricks for Treats
If you’re an adult with diabetes who is planning on handing out candy for Halloween, you may worry about the possibility of eating too many sweets yourself. One of the best ways to avoid this is to buy candy that you don’t like. "If someone doesn’t like licorice, or chocolate, or nuts, that might be a good choice to give out,” says Rachel Head, RD, CDE.Good timing can also help you avoid indulging in the candy you’re planning to give out. “Buy it that day,” says Kirsten Ward, MS, RCEP, CDE. “Don’t have it in the house where you can start eating it the day before.”
Finally, be sure to follow your regular meal schedule on Halloween, so you won’t be as hungry when trick-or-treating starts.
Candy Carb Counts
The fun-size treats you pick up on Halloween don't always have nutrition labels—which makes it hard to count calories or carb count. This handy table tells you how many carbs are in some of the most popular Halloween candies.|
Candy |
Calories |
Carb |
Fat |
|
Almond Joy Snack Size (1 pc) |
80 |
8 g |
3 g |
|
Butterfinger Fun Size (1 pc) |
85 |
13.5 g |
3.5 g |
|
Candy Corn (1 oz) |
100 |
25.6 g |
0 g |
|
Dum Dum (1 Lollipop) |
25 |
6.5 g |
0 g |
|
Hershey's Kisses Dark Chocolate (1 pc) |
21 |
3 g |
1 g |
|
Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate (1 pc) |
21 |
3 g |
1 g |
|
Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate with Almonds (1 pc) |
22 |
2.5 g |
1 g |
|
Hershey's Assorted Miniatures - Hershey's Chocolate, Hershey's |
40 |
5 g |
2 g |
|
Jolly Ranchers (1 pc) |
23 |
6 g |
0 g |
|
Kit Kat Miniatures (1 pc) |
42 |
5.5 g |
2 g |
|
Kit Kat Snack Size bars (1 2-piece bar) |
70 |
9 g |
3.5 g |
|
M&Ms Fun Size (1 package) |
60 |
10 g |
2.5 g |
|
M&Ms Crispy Fun Size (1 package) |
80 |
12 g |
3 g |
|
M&Ms Peanut Fun Size (1 package) |
90 |
11 g |
5 g |
|
M&Ms Pretzel Fun Size (1 package) |
60 |
10 g |
2 g |
|
Milk Duds (13 pc) |
160 |
37 g |
15 g |
|
Milky Way Caramel Fun Size (1 pc) |
100 |
15 g |
4.5 g |
|
Milky Way Dark Miniatures (1 pc) |
38 |
6 g |
14 g |
|
Milky Way Fun Size (1 pc) |
80 |
12 g |
3 g |
|
Milky Way Miniatures (1 pc) |
38 |
6 g |
1.6 g |
|
Mounds Snack Size (1 pc) |
80 |
10 g |
4.5 g |
|
Skittles Share Size (1 package) |
64 |
15 g |
0.6 g |
|
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Minis (1 pc) |
43 |
5 g |
2 g |
|
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Snack Size (1 pc) |
105 |
11 g |
6 g |
|
ROLO (1 pc) |
28 |
4 g |
1 g |
|
Smarties (1 roll) |
25 |
6 g |
0 g |
|
Snickers Fun Size (1 pc) |
80 |
10.5 g |
4 g |
|
Snickers Mini (1 pc) |
42 |
5.5 g |
2 g |
|
Starbursts (1 pc) |
20 |
4 g |
0.4 g |
|
Three Musketeers Fun Size (1 pc) |
63 |
11.3 g |
2 g |
|
Three Musketeers Mini (1 pc) |
24 |
6.4 g |
0.7 g |
|
Twix Fun Size (1 pc) |
125 |
13.5 g |
7 g |
|
Twix Miniatures (1 pc) |
50 |
6.6 g |
2.3 g |
|
York Snack Size (1 pc) |
60 |
13.5 g |
1 g |