Chocolate tops Halloween candy consumption

From fruity to chewy to sour to nutty, the choices of possible Halloween candies are endless, but 74% of respondents say chocolate is still their top choice, according to the National Confectioners Association’s (NCA) newest national survey. Candy corn comes in second place, followed by gummy candy, chewy candy, hard candy, lollipops, licorice, and gum and mints, which together totaled only 16%. Still, most Halloween hosts will hand out a chocolate and non-chocolate mix.

Between BREC’s Boo At the Zoo and classic neighborhood trick-or-treating, there are ample opportunities for local kids to collect candy, issuing challenges to parents on how to set limits and encourage moderation.

So what is an acceptable amount of candy for a kid? According to the NCA, moderate candy consumption is 50 to 100 calories worth, the equivalent of 15-25 jelly beans, one snack or fun size candy bar, two to four licorice whips, three to five pieces of hard candy, two bite-sized peanut butter cups or two to four bite-sized chocolates.

Failing that, parents can deploy another strategy: theft. Of those surveyed, 81% say that they filch candy from their children’s Halloween haul for their own consumption, often after the kids have gone to bed or school. — Maggie Heyn Richardson