If you’re trying to lose weight, Halloween can be really scary: There’s candy everywhere! And even if you’re loading up on fiber to stay full and staying on your meal plan, willpower will only get you so far—if you’ve got a sweet tooth, those fun-sized temptations are bound to lead to candy cravings and lead your astray from a healthier Halloween.
Don’t deny yourself completely. Nutrisystem dietitians say that the best way to curb a craving is to tackle it head on—if you want candy, you should have some in a smart, portion-controlled way to help quell your craving.
Instead of raiding the office candy dish, try one of these seven easy, sweet bars for a healthier Halloween:
To kick off your healthier Halloween, we’ve got a classic. Most crisp rice treats are held together with sugary marshmallows and calorie-dense butter. What if you could have fewer calories, less sugar, and more flavor? It’s not magic: It’s peanut butter! These better-for-you treats are just as gooey as the original, but add the flavor of peanut butter to the sweetness of honey to hold steady.
Not a peanut butter fan? These treats bring back the butter flavor without the extra calories, and add in the flavors of cake batter—without the risks of eating it raw. Almond butter, coconut oil and brown rice syrup make them as sticky-sweet as any treat you’ve ever had, and at 68 calories each, they’re guilt-free.
Dark chocolate has antioxidant and heart health benefits that you’ve probably heard about (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/16774-heart-healthy-benefits-of-chocolate), but in a season of caramel-stuffed, peanut-packed goodies, the dark stuff can seem like … diet chocolate. Kick it up a notch and add flavor and a fancy feel with just two ingredients: Orange zest and sea salt. It only takes a few minutes to make, and it’ll take your treat from bland and bitter to surprising, fresh, and fancy.
You might be asking, “Quinoa?” A better question: Why not? You’re already used to grains like puffed rice adding crunch to your candy. Quinoa takes the same idea and adds protein: The South American staple is higher in protein than almost any other grain, meaning these bars won’t just satisfy your sweet tooth, they’ll help you get full and stay that way thanks to the gut-filling power of your muscles’ favorite nutrient.
If you spend the fall craving pumpkin lattes and find yourself tempted by pumpkin spice popcorn, candy, cookies and cakes, this one’s for you. By adding pumpkin spice and puree to a traditional crisped rice treat recipe, these bars wind up being lower in calories than normal treats, have added fiber and vegetable nutrition from the pumpkin, and, of course, have that taste of fall you crave.
Mint and chocolate are a classic flavor combination, and with these six-ingredient bars, you get all the flavor without the guilt. Each bar is loaded with chocolate chips between layers or cocoa-flavored crisp rice held together by delicious, melted marshmallows. But there’s no trick with this treat: Each bar is just 61 calories, 30 fewer than you’d have from a traditional, chocolate-free rice krispie treat.
Enjoy a healthier Halloween with this delicious “crunch” bar that combines the rich flavors of chocolate and peanut butter to make a protein-packed sweet treat. If you’re a peanut butter lover, this bar is a great alternative to your favorite vending machine treat. Whip up a batch of these Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars and enjoy a healthier pick that will fill your Halloween candy sweet tooth.