Halloween candy used to be so simple – a few bags of fun size Milky Ways and mini boxes of Milk Duds and no complaints from the munchkins with their plastic pumpkin candy holders and pillowcases.
Now we have surveys telling us which candy is most popular among the social media crowd and which has the biggest Facebook following. We’re keeping the answers secret in order to make for peaceful trick-or-treating.
But even though research and candy tastes might be more specific now, that isn’t deterring anyone from buying mass quantities of it.
A recent National Retail Federation survey determined that Americans will spend $2.1 billion on Halloween candy this year. About 70 percent of survey respondents will have sweet treats on hand on October 31.
Not sure yet what you’re buying? Here are some suggestions:
A healthy choice
Welch’s Fruit Snacks are fat free, gluten free and contain vitamins A, E and C. That’s the part you don’t tell the kids. But give them choices of Fruit Punch, White Grape Raspberry, Island Fruits or Berries ‘n Cherries, and they’ll never realize they’re eating a healthier alternative to a Kit Kat bar, which, shockingly, packs 210 calories and 11 grams of fat into a snack size bar.
A traditional choice
Snickers and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups seem to top most unscientific polls, so let’s go with those as the most popular choices. And why not? You’re talking about chocolate, peanuts and creamy nougat in one and chocolate and peanut butter in the other. If you don’t have some sort of affection for either of these (allergies notwithstanding), clearly, there is no blood running through your veins.
A new choice
If you’re a Peeps aficionado, surely you know that Easter is not the only time of year to eat these marshmallow monstrosities. Over the years Peeps has rolled out Chocolate Mousse Marshmallow Cats and Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Pumpkins, which are filled with orange-colored fluff, dipped in milk or dark chocolate and individually wrapped for handout purposes. These have taken their place alongside the cellophane packages of sticky ghosts and jack o’ lanterns we all know and love or hate. This season, Peeps headquarters unveiled Marshmallow Tombstones. They’re “fun-shaped” because everyone knows tombstones are fun shapes! But sadly, they are not individually wrapped.
A green choice
A bag of Yummy Earth USDA certified organic lollipops will provide some sugar without chemical colors (organic black carrots and organic pumpkin take care of that), artificial flavors or corn syrup. Flavors include Pomegranate Pucker, Mango Tango and the kinda-gross-sounding Wet Face Watermelon.
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