Easter Candy 411

After Halloween, Easter is the second largest candy eating holiday. When it comes to candy, there really isn’t one candy that is better than the other. At the end of the day to prevent packing on the pounds, it all comes down to calories. Many Americans abandon their diets when it comes to holidays and even one bad day can set back 6 good days of eating! I like to use the rule of staying around 200 calories or less per serving of Easter candy. Here is a breakdown of some of your favorite candies (Peeps, Cadbury Eggs, Jelly Beans, M&Ms, Chocolate Bunnies, and Reeces cups/eggs) so you can know exactly how many 200 calories of your favorite candy is! 

Higher Calorie Easter Candy (over 200 per serving): 

- 1.5 oz mini bag Cadbury Chocolate Mini Eggs: 210
- 5 Nestle Butterfinger Nesteggs Easter: 210
- Quarter cup M & M's Candies Milk Chocolate with Peanuts Pastels: 220
- 9 Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate with Almonds Pastels: 230
- 5 Hershey's Miniatures Chocolates Pastels: 230
- 1 small 2.5 oz Fannie May Rabbit Solid Milk Chocolate: 420
- 1 small 7 oz bag Jelly Belly Jelly Beans: 700

Lower Calorie Easter Candy (under 200 per serving): 

- 1 package (5 chicks) Peeps Marshmallow Chicks: 140 (and fat free)

- 1 Cadbury Crème Egg: 150

- 1 Cadbury Caramel Egg: 170

- 1/8 cup M&M’s: 105 calories
- 1 Reese's Peanut Butter Egg: 180

- 4 Reese’s Peanut Butter Mini eggs: 160
- 7 Rolo Chewy Caramels Pastel: 190
- ¼ Peter Rabbit Chocolate Bunny: 110

Easter candy is a tradition in most households. Every year parents try to decide what to give their kids for Easter. No doubt, kids prefer candy but it’s good to include some healthy alternatives in their baskets as well.  This year reduce the amount of candy to make room for fun stuff like:

·     Mini Boxes of Raisins

• Plastic Eggs with Coins in them
• Coloring books and crayons
• Puzzles
• Slinky’s
• Play-dough
• Baseball cards
• Disposable cameras
• Pencils
• Stuffed bunnies
• Nail Polish