Know the tricks to treating yourself on Halloween to prevent sugar-loaded candy from spooking your diet.
Candy and chocolate are obviously not part of your regularly scheduled meal plan—even as a cheat, especially when you’re trying to build or maintain a shredded physique. But it’s Halloween, and sweets will be front and center like a guy who curls inside the power rack. Sure, you can avoid all candy like you would the people down the block who hand out pennies as “treats”. Or you can snack on the varieties that carry some nutritional benefits to help you survive Halloween without tricking yourself.
1. Hershey’s Special Dark
Cocoa contains small amounts of vitamins A, B, and E, calcium, potassium, and even iron. It is also packed with several antioxidants, including theobromine, which has been shown to help reduce inflammation and blood pressure.
2. Pixy Stix
Go ahead and get hopped up! Though pure sugar, Pixy Stix have easily digestible carbs that can help provide energy pre-workout, and the insulin spike post-workout shuttles the glycogen back into the muscles for recovery.
3. Jolly Rancher
Start sucking on these hard-as-a-brick babies to keep your mouth busy, minimizing your ability to shove more calorie-dense treats inside. They are also relatively low in calories, with two pieces containing just 47 calories and 7g of sugar.
4. Raisinets
A snack-pack box has just 150 calories and 6g of fat, which won’t sabotage your diet. Also, a study published in the journal Nutrition found that eating dried fruit like raisins may help increase hormones associated with satiety.
