Candyland
by Richard Simmons
"Let me call you sweetheart,
"I'm in love with you … !"
Sure, I could sing that song to you, but this time I was crooning to a candy bar! I may be middle-aged, but I believe you never outgrow your love of candy! But do I have to tell you what sugary treats can do to your weight? I didn't think so.
Still, it is Valentine's Day month, after all, and I think we're entitled to give in to our candy craving a teeny bit! I won't lie to you - candy isn't the most nutritious food you can eat. But we all need a tiny splurge once in a while to help us stick to our food plan! As song as we don't go overboard, it's perfectly fine to indulge, in small amounts, every now and then.
Like with every other food, though, some candy will "cost" you more, fat- and calories-wise, than others. Here are my handy charts to help you make the best choices:
25-Calorie Treats
1 chocolate Hershey's Kiss
4 gumdrops
1 lollipop
6 jellybeans
1 piece Bazooka bubble-gum
2 Life Savers
5 Gummi Bears
1 large marshmallow
Other Not-So-Bad-For-You Candy
Candy -----------------Amount---------Fat Grams---------Calories
Strawberry Twizzlers - 1 oz---------1-----------------100
Candy corn--------------1 oz---------0.6---------------100
Butterscotch candy-----1 oz---------1------------------110
Crystallized ginger------1 oz---------0-----------------95
Tootsie Rolls------------1.4oz--------4-----------------160
And don't forget about these other sweet treats …
Freeze some grapes or a peeled banana. Voilà! You've got an instant low-cal ice pop!
Fat-free hot cocoa can be as little as 25 calories a cup, with no fat.
1/4 cup of raisins has about 100 calories and practically no fat.
10 dried-apricot halves contain no fat and only about 85 calories.
1 caramel-flavored rice cake has 50 calories and no fat.
