Sometimes the biggest trick that might be played at Halloween is the sweets and chocolate industry hiding scary sugars in their colourful packaging and small print hiding the poor nutritional value of our favourite snacks.
In 2023 alone, US shoppers spent $3.1 billion on Halloween food, with UK shoppers following behind and spending over £1 billion.
It’s clear that our love for all things snacks isn’t going to change, but what we enjoy and how often we enjoy it is being cracked down on. With junk food advertising banned before the watershed in the UK to discourage the rising levels of obesity among young consumers, we’re taking an active effort to look after ourselves through our diets.
Alongside looking after our health, cutting back on our snacking can be good for our wallets too. In the rise of shrinkflation, supermarket chocolate prices have now increased by 17.2% across the last year.
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When did we start eating sweets at Halloween?
40% of us now buy sweets and chocolates to celebrate Halloween, according to Statista, but the history of sharing goods has been going on for far longer.
Halloween takes place on All Saint’s Day, a commemorative day where people would pray for their loved ones. We’ve been trick-or-treating and indulging in spooky sweets on the day since the times of medieval England
Traditionally, people would knock on their neighbour’s doors and pray or sing in exchange for food. The most popular food to exchange was a soul cake, similar to a biscuit or a scone.
After the Celts transformed it into an opportunity to dress in new outfits and costumes, it became a lot more recognisable to how we carry on the celebrations today.
How much is too much sugar?
Even if you’re not turning to a bag of sugary sweets, you still need to be aware of how sugar can be hidden in our food and drinks without us realising.
Dr Hanna Kinsella, dental professional and CEO of Icy Bear Dental, explains: ‘We all know about the obvious sugar offenders like cakes, biscuits, and sweets, but it’s the hidden sugars that often do the most damage.
‘Flavoured coffees, dried fruit, and even some savoury snacks can be surprisingly high in sugar. Each time you eat something sugary, the bacteria in your mouth produce acid which can attack your enamel for up to 20 minutes afterwards. Sipping on sweetened drinks like hot chocolate or spiced teas can also keep your teeth in constant contact with sugar, which prolongs the acid attack.’
When you’re accommodating your diet around different health needs, this can also mean that you must keep a stricter eye on your sugar intake.
Douglas Twenefour, head of clinical at Diabetes UK, explains: ‘It’s important to carefully manage your blood sugar levels over Halloween so they don't become too high (hyperglycaemia), or too low (hypoglycaemia).’
‘Both can make you feel unwell and, if untreated, become serious. As Halloween treats are high in sugar, and trick-or-treating can involve lots of walking, it's particularly important to keep an eye on blood sugar levels over the spooky season. Balancing snacks, meals, activity levels, and medication can all help keep blood sugar in a safe, healthy range.’
What can I do to look after my kids?
Whether you’re looking after kids, grandkids, or you’re just a kid at heart – monitoring your sugar intake is exactly what you should be thinking about when portioning out sweets. Make sure that they’re not eating too many sweet treats, and that your kids are sticking to a dentist-approved hygiene routine.
‘We often think of brushing as the main defence against sugar, but flossing is just as important,’ shares Dr Hanna. ‘Sticky sweets and rich foods can easily get caught between the teeth, which can lead to decay in places your toothbrush can’t reach.’
‘Drinking plenty of water helps with saliva production, and tooth-friendly snacks like cheese, nuts, or crunchy vegetables can help balance your mouth’s pH and protect enamel. Most importantly, stick to a simple, effective routine by rinsing, flossing, tongue-cleaning, and brushing with a fluoride toothpaste twice a day.’
How can you still enjoy sweets and chocolate on Halloween?
1. Turn fizzy drinks into low-sugar mocktails
If you’re choosing a fizzy drink or an alcoholic cocktail with lots of hidden sugars, the spike in your blood sugar will leave you feeling exhausted in no time. And who needs the crash out so early into the night when you spent so long making your outfit?
A mocktail could be your new favourite, low-sugar drink to try, as Pev Manners, owner of Belvior Farm, explains: ‘At Belvoir Farm, we’ve always believed that nature does it best.’
‘That’s why we choose natural sugar over anything artificial. Unlike artificial sweeteners or additives, a little natural sugar allows us to keep our drinks true to their roots, made with simple, honest ingredients you can trust. At the same time, however, we recognise that many families are looking for ways to reduce sugar intake without resorting to artificial sweeteners and that’s why we’ve developed our sparkling no added sugar drinks, giving a naturally delicious alternative to traditional sugary drinks and artificially sweetened ‘zero’ ones, whilst staying true to our philosophy of keeping things 100% natural.’
Just because a drink is low sugar and low alcohol doesn’t mean that it can’t be enjoyable. The best way to enjoy a mocktail without missing out on the excitement? ‘They’re perfect just as they are, ideally cold from the fridge or poured over ice,’ recommends Pev.
’To make things feel a little more special, try adding a garnish such as slices of citrus fruit, some fresh berries or even a sprig of mint,’ he adds.
And it’s not just your energy levels that will take a hit; your dental hygiene may also be in the firing line. Having an alcoholic drink can be filled with sugar, making low-sugar alternatives even more important.
Dr Hanna explains: ‘Alcohol can also dry out the mouth, which reduces saliva flow, making it harder for the mouth to neutralise acids and wash away food particles. All of this combined increases the risk of enamel wear, cavities, and gum problems.’
2. If you can’t find any low-sugar alternatives, bake your own goods
Riffling through what you can or can’t trust in the supermarket can feel quite difficult, especially when there are so many hidden ingredients that you may not know what to look out for.
Baking and cooking your own goods can help you to see how much sugar is added into every serving of your favourite foods, as many on the market options contain a third of the recommended daily sugar intake that we need per portion size.
Not only can it help you visualise how much you’re actually sticking to the recommended sugar intake for a healthy diet, but it can be a fun way to celebrate the day by doing something creative with kids.
Saifur Rahman, head chef at Tower Tandoori, doesn’t think that healthy swaps compromise on great flavour: ‘Swap out traditional sweets with fun, healthier treats like spiced popcorn with cinnamon and cardamom, fruit skewers decorated with spooky faces, or dark chocolate bites infused with a hint of chai spice.’
3. Stick to the portions on the packet
Who hasn’t accidentally eaten a whole tube of Pringles? We sure have. And when the packaging is so deceptive, or your heart is saying different to what the wrapper says, it can often feel hard to manage your portion sizes.
Sticking to what’s recommended can be a great way of cutting back on sugar without completely missing out on the fun of your favourite snack.
If you have kids who are trick-or-treating, sticking to the party or fun sized varieties of sweets can also be an effective way to create smaller portions for smaller kids.
And if you’re managing your diet around diabetes, you don’t have to miss out on the Halloween fun, Douglas shares: ‘You can manage blood sugar levels at Halloween by checking blood sugar levels more regularly, sharing treats with friends or family, keeping portions small, and balancing them with healthy foods. Doing these can help you and your family enjoy Halloween and ensure you don't miss out on the fun.’
4. Low sugar labelling is your new best friend
Additives, preservatives, colouring, sugar – why add to the never-ending list of ingredients when you don’t even know what they do to your food? If something says low-sugar, it should be your go-to option to cut down on your daily intake and encourage a balanced diet.
Saifur recommends: ‘Supermarkets now offer great low-sugar options – Tesco’s Free From range has reduced-sugar chocolate, Nakd bars are a naturally sweet choice, and Free From Fellows’ sugar-free gummies or Chupa Chups sugar-free lollies are brilliant swaps for kids.’
Planning when you snack can also help to look after your dental health, says Dr Hanna: ‘My advice is to be mindful of how often you’re consuming these kinds of foods and drinks throughout the day.’
‘Try to limit sugary snacks to mealtimes and avoid grazing throughout the day. If you enjoy sweetened drinks, try to drink them in one sitting rather than sipping slowly over time. A helpful trick is to have a glass of water alongside any sweet drink and try to drink through a straw where possible to minimise contact with your front teeth.’
What are the healthiest snacks to buy?
It’s not a crime to enjoy a sweet treat in moderation, and everyone deserves an indulgence now and then.
If chocolate is your craving, then a Milky Way might be the best option to go for, ranked at the lowest calorie and sugar volume per portion compared to some of the best ranked treats. It’s closely followed by Curly Wurlys, Kinder Buenos and Milky Bars.
Some of the least healthy chocolates can still be great to enjoy but just be mindful to enjoy them in moderation. The worst ranked chocolate in calories and sugar content per portion is the Wispa Gold, shortly followed by Toblerone, Twix and Lion Bars.
If you prefer sweets, then Midget Gems are ranked the best for sugar volume and calories per portion. They’re quickly followed by Werther’s Originals sugar-free, Fruit Pastilles and Haribo Strawbs.
The least healthy in sugar volume and calorie content per portion are Jelly Babies, which contain double the daily recommended sugar allowance for a healthy diet. They’re followed by Haribo Tangfastics, Haribo Starmix and Wine Gums.
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