Spring Break
Beware of the scariest part of Halloween: Calories
Halle Organ and Marissa O' Connor, Health & Fitness Editors, horgan@smu.edu, moconnor@smu.edu
Issue date: 10/28/09 Section: Health & Fitness
With the holiday spirit of Halloween, we're all looking forward to this weekend's celebrations. Pumpkins have been carved and cobwebs hung. Ghoulish ghosts adorn front doors with fright … and candy is everywhere in sight! And that's just the problem.
If you fear packing on a few extra pounds this Halloween more than you fear a black cat crossing your path, then we've got some advice for you. Here are a couple things that will make you say "Boo!"
1. Fun size candy bars
There's nothing fun about them. These seemingly small snacks are far from innocent. According to Women's Health, just 1 1/4 of those "fun" size Snicker's bars are 100 calories. Think about the last time you ate just 1 1/4 of these candy bars. Chances are you didn't stop there. Chocolate's not your thing? Well you're not off the hook. Peeling back just 2 1/2 "fun" size Starbursts will put you in the same situation as your Snickers-eating friend. If you ask us, these are more of a trick than a treat!
2. Candy dishes
Be weary of these easily accessible, colorful displays. The delicious décor may grab your eye, but its contents are more appealing ornamenting the table than they will be on your belly or thighs. Grabbing a handful of calories is far too easy. Women's Health did the research and found that just less than 14 pieces of candy corn meets the 100-calorie mark. Before you dig in for seconds, think about the consequences that just one more handful could have.
3. Pumpkin sweets
What's not pumpkin this season? Sure, these treats are a great way to get you in the Halloween spirit, but consuming all things pumpkin will have you looking like a pumpkin in no time! Eeek!
Pumpkin seeds and this delicious HungryGirl smoothie are better options:
1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin
4 oz. Diet Snapple Peach Iced Tea
4 oz. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze, cinnamon, nutmeg and/or pumpkin pie spice (to taste)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Splenda (to taste)
Keep in mind that just because it's a holiday (revolving around candy), it is not an excuse to binge on sugary sweets. Thanksgiving is less than a month away, so set a goal to stay on track at least until then.
If you fear packing on a few extra pounds this Halloween more than you fear a black cat crossing your path, then we've got some advice for you. Here are a couple things that will make you say "Boo!"
1. Fun size candy bars
There's nothing fun about them. These seemingly small snacks are far from innocent. According to Women's Health, just 1 1/4 of those "fun" size Snicker's bars are 100 calories. Think about the last time you ate just 1 1/4 of these candy bars. Chances are you didn't stop there. Chocolate's not your thing? Well you're not off the hook. Peeling back just 2 1/2 "fun" size Starbursts will put you in the same situation as your Snickers-eating friend. If you ask us, these are more of a trick than a treat!
2. Candy dishes
Be weary of these easily accessible, colorful displays. The delicious décor may grab your eye, but its contents are more appealing ornamenting the table than they will be on your belly or thighs. Grabbing a handful of calories is far too easy. Women's Health did the research and found that just less than 14 pieces of candy corn meets the 100-calorie mark. Before you dig in for seconds, think about the consequences that just one more handful could have.
3. Pumpkin sweets
What's not pumpkin this season? Sure, these treats are a great way to get you in the Halloween spirit, but consuming all things pumpkin will have you looking like a pumpkin in no time! Eeek!
Pumpkin seeds and this delicious HungryGirl smoothie are better options:
1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin
4 oz. Diet Snapple Peach Iced Tea
4 oz. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze, cinnamon, nutmeg and/or pumpkin pie spice (to taste)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Splenda (to taste)
Keep in mind that just because it's a holiday (revolving around candy), it is not an excuse to binge on sugary sweets. Thanksgiving is less than a month away, so set a goal to stay on track at least until then.
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