Halloween Treats and Staying Fit

With tomorrow being Halloween, many of us are going to be exposed to a large amount of sweet treats. Those mini candy bars are just too easy to eat one after the other! But it doesn't have to be a weight-gaining, full of regret experience. Here are some tips to help you choose a treat that won't cost you extra hours on a treadmill.

• Avoid purchasing your favorite candy to hand out. You may end up eating a large quantity yourself!
• Avoid the treat bowl at work. Co-workers will bring in excess candy because they don't want it in their homes. Avoid the urge to grab a snack every time you pass by the bowl.
• Have your favorite fruit available to help satiate your sweet tooth instead of being tempted to grab the candy.
• Move the candy dish somewhere you can't see it all day. Out of sight, out of mind.
• Count the wrappers of the candy you have eaten. It's easy to keep eating those miniature treats so stop after each one and count the wrappers. This will let you know when you've had too much.
• Make sure you are eating three meals a day with healthy snacks in between. Keeping your hunger under control will help you avoid the urge to grab unhealthy candy snacks.

Better candy alternatives (Just remember to eat them in moderation!):

• Hershey's kisses at only 22 calories each.
• Tootsie roll midgees at only 10 calories each.
• Dum Dum lollipops last a long time and are only 20 calories each.
• Starbursts are only 20 calories each.
• Jelly Belly jelly beans contain about 100 calories in 25 jelly beans.
• Smarties are only 25 calories per pack.
• 3 Musketeers minis at only 24 calories each.
• Plain dark chocolate is a better alternative to milk or white chocolate in that the extra cocoa has a blood pressure lowering effect. 

Remember that moderation is the key!! Starving ourselves of foods we truly love leads us to overeat them when they are presented to us. So do yourself a favor and have a small amount of these "forbidden" foods. It will help satisfy your craving for something sweet and lower your risk of overindulging later.

Recipe of the Day:

Berry Parfait

Ingredients:

• 32 oz Dannon Light & Fit vanilla yogurt
• Special K Granola or Kashi Berry Crumble Granola Cereal
• 1 pint of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries

Instructions:

 In a medium-sized clear bowl, layer the ingredients in the following order: Granola, yogurt and berries (alternating between the three types), repeating until the bowl is filled.

Nutrients per serving (Makes 8 servings):

 Calories: 180, Total Fats: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 0.5 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 105 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 30 g, Dietary Fiber: 6 g, Sugars: 13 g, Protein: 7 g, Iron: 1 mg