Spooky Surprises: The Truth About Halloween Goodies

Halloween is only a few days away! There is a lot of fun involved in Halloween, but if you are not careful you can pack a lot of calories into one day of fun. Americans are becoming more and more overweight due to poor food choices and inactivity. Halloween promises a night full of activity with parties and trick-or-treating. Here are some helpful hints to keep Halloween fun and healthy:

1.) Prepare a healthy, filling snack before you go to a party or take your kids trick-or-treating. An example of a snack to enjoy is a peanut butter and banana sandwich. You can also have a fruit and low-fat yogurt parfait. These snacks will help satisfy your sweet tooth before heading out and overindulging on sweets.

2.) Keep the goodies you collect from trick-or-treating around for 2-3 days then take the rest to the office or to class. This will allow you to enjoy some goodies, but it will keep you from being tempted to eat the whole stash.

3.) While at a Halloween party, fill a small plate with food at the food table and then leave the area to avoid the temptation of getting seconds.

4.) While at the Halloween party enjoy low-calorie or no-calorie beverages. If you are over 21 and choose to drink alcohol, mix your drinks with a non-caloric beverage. Examples are: diet soda, water, crystal light, and zero calorie powerade.

5.) If going to a Halloween party, prepare a healthy dish to bring with you for yourself and to share with others. Examples are: fruit and/or veggies and dip, baked tortilla chips and salsa, or pita chips and hummus.

6.) Don’t buy Halloween candy too early. If the candy is sitting around your house before Halloween you will be more tempted to overindulge in the sweet treats.

7.) After Halloween is over, place extra candy in a cabinet that you do not use everyday. Out of sight is out of mind. If you do not see the candy you will be less likely to eat too much of it.

8.) After Halloween is over, skip out on the candy sales. Instead of buying the reduced price candy, use the extra money to do something fun for yourself such as go to a movie with a friend, buy a new book, or buy a new CD.

9.) Here are some better options when choosing candy on Halloween:
-2 Dum Dums has 51 calories
-2 Hershey Kisses w/ peanut butter has 59 calories
-2 Rolos has 55 calories
-2 rolls of Smarties has 50 calories
-2 Midgees Tootsie Rolls has 47 calories

**Be weary of “fun-size” treats. Most “fun-size” treats pack almost 100 calories per pack.

Hopefully these tips and guidelines will help you have a fun and healthy Halloween this year! BOOO!!

GSU Coordinated Program Interns Group V

You’re drinking what?!? The pros and cons of the beverages you consume.

When people think “nutrition,” they most often think “food.” However, beverages can be major sources of vitamins, minerals, and calories in our diets. So what are you drinking? And how is that affecting your health?

Beverages with vitamins and/or minerals:

- 100% fruit juices
The good: Fruit juices can be great sources of vitamin C. For example, most 8-ounce glasses of orange juice contain approximately half of the vitamin C needed in one whole day!
The bad: Fruit juices should not replace eating whole fruits. When fruits are juiced, the fiber in them is eliminated. Fiber is important for a healthy colon, maintaining a healthy weight, and for preventing some types of cancer. Also, watch your portion size! Eight ounces of a fruit juice generally contains between 100 and 150 calories, so keep it to one glass to leave room for that whole fruit!

- Milk
The good: Milk is full of calcium! It also contains vitamins A and D, which are important for vision, skin integrity, and bone health. Also, for those who are active, a glass of low-fat chocolate milk has the perfect carbohydrate-protein ratio for that essential post-workout snack.
The bad: Whole milk is very high in saturated fat, which contributes to high cholesterol and heart disease. For this reason, choose low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products.

Beverages with no vitamins/minerals, but plenty of calories:

- Soft drinks
The good: Ummmmm . . . if we find one, we’ll let you know!
The bad: Soft drinks are full of calories, and every one of them is from sugar! Plus, they contain no other nutrition (vitamins/minerals/fiber). Here are the facts on some of your favorites:
- Coca-Cola (20-oz. bottle) – 240 calories, 65 grams sugar
- Pepsi (20-oz. bottle) – 250 calories, 70 grams sugar
- Dr. Pepper (20-oz. bottle) – 250 calories, 68 grams sugar
- Sprite (20-oz. bottle) – 240 calories, 65 grams sugar
- Mountain Dew (20-oz. bottle) – 290 calories, 77 grams sugar
Remember, it takes 3,500 extra calories to gain one pound. That means just two Cokes per day that you don’t need could cause you to gain one whole pound per week!

- Energy drinks
The good: Energy drinks can be consumed in moderation (ie: one) to help get a boost when you’re really tired.
The bad: Energy drinks can also be very high in calories and sugar. Furthermore, research has shown that excessive consumption of energy drinks can have adverse health effects such as heart problems and chronic high blood pressure.
- Red Bull (1 8-oz. can) – 115 calories, 26 grams sugar, 80 mg caffeine
- Monster (1 16-oz. can) – 100 calories, 27 grams sugar, 160 mg caffeine
- Amp (1 8-oz. can) – 110 calories, 29 grams sugar, 75 mg caffeine
- Wired X (1 24-oz. can) – 220, calories, 25 grams sugar, 505 mg caffeine
(Regular soft drinks contain 30-50 mg caffeine per 12-oz. can)

- Fruit-flavored juices/punches
The good: A “must” at wedding and baby showers!
The bad: These are not 100% fruit juice, but often masquerade as though they are. This means that they are high in calories and sugar without the benefits of any vitamins, minerals, or fiber!

- Sweetened tea
The good: Tea contains antioxidants (although a small amount), which can be beneficial to your health.
The bad: Sugar, sugar, sugar! A medium sweet tea from Chick-fil-A contains 130 calories and 33 grams of sugar! How about that refill now?

- Alcohol
The good: Research has shown that one 5-ounce serving of red wine per day can be beneficial for heart health.
The bad: In spite of the numerous adverse health effects (especially liver damage), alcohol can also be a prime contributor to weight gain. Remember - alcohol has calories, too!
- Budweiser (12-ounce can or bottle) – 146 calories
- Bud Light (12-ounce bottle) – 110 calories
- Michelob Ultra (12-ounce bottle) – 96 calories
- Guinness Draught (1 pint/16 ounces) – 210 calories

Beverages with no calories (and no benefits):

- Diet sodas and energy drinks
The good: If you really need the soda fix, you can have it without the extra calories.
The bad: Be careful not to allow sodas to replace the water you should be drinking. Also, the adverse health effects of energy drinks still apply.

THE PERFECT BEVERAGE:
- WATER!
The good: No calories! Perfect hydration! Essential for your body to function!
The bad: Ummmm . . . if we find one, we’ll let you know!

-GSU Nutrition Coordinated Program Interns Group V