With Halloween coming up this weekend, you’re probably reading and viewing lots of advice regarding chocolate choices and snack strategies. While some may go out of their way to prepare and receive only healthy snacks, we’re of the mass market camp, allowing the kids to enjoy whatever is handed to them. This is, after all, a once in a year event.
One of the things manufacturers have done to make life easier on us (and our pocketbooks) is the mini-size candies and chocolates, that tend to become more prevalent in the months leading up to All Saint’s Day.
Financially, handing out mini-candies can help stretch your budget. On the receiving end, your kids get less junk food to chomp down.
We picked up a mix bag of Kit-Kat minis and checked it out.
What you need to know:
A bag contains 35 pieces (“fingers”). A serving is considered FIVE (5!!!) fingers. It has 210 calories, almost half from saturated fat, the rest from sugar (about 5 teaspoons worth).
But if we divide this by 5, and consume only one chocolate finger – we’re paying only 42 calories, less than 2 grams of fat, and only one teaspoon of sugar.
If our kids (and we, for that matter) learn not to gobble down candy, this mini-sized trend may be a good way to enjoy treats without going overboard.
What to do at the supermarket:
Look for bite sized snack bags.
Check ingredient lists for chocolate candies without partially hydrogenated oils (trans-fats).
Choose candies without artificial colors (Yellow #5, Red #40, etc…)
