Nutritionists have weighed in on which candy types are healthier than others, and one popular Halloween treat received the honors of being ranked dead last. Find out if your favorite candy made the cut!

Frighteningly Sweet Treats

BOO! We caught you raiding that trick-or-treat bag looking for a piece of candy to snack on! No worries – having some candy rarely on special occasions like Halloween is fine, if done in moderation. That being said, there’s no doubt that Halloween has to be one of the unhealthiest holidays in our society. We’re practically encouraged to binge eat nutritionally void nuggets of chocolate and sugar for at least a week!

That being said, some candies are simply worse for you than others. A recent article over at NBC News took an informal poll of nutritionists to figure out which treats are bad for you, and which are absolutely terrible for you! It’s a scary job, but someone has to do it.

The Top 6 Unhealthiest Halloween Candy Choices, Ranked:

1. Brach’s Candy Corn
2. Tootsie Roll Minis
3. Twizzler’s Strawberry Twists
4. Kit Kat Minis
5. Twix Caramel Cookie Bar Minis
6. Snickers Miniatures

Yes, that’s right — candy corn has earned the honor of being ranked the number one most unhealthy Halloween candy. 19 pieces of candy corn, which Brach’s claims is the serving size, contains an eye-popping 140 calories and 28 grams of sugar. That’s astonishing considering how little candy that 28 grams of sugar is packed into! Nutritionists warn that because the pieces are so small, and candy corn usually comes in a giant bag, there’s absolutely no way most candy corn fans will be able to eat only 19 pieces. A few handfuls of candy corn can add up incredibly quickly.

Ways To Minimize The Nutritional Damage Of Candy

If you’re trying to do damage control on the amount of candy you’re putting in your body, you do have some options to help keep you and your family a little healthier this Halloween. First of all, if possible, choose healthier candy! Look for low-sugar or sugarfree options, and at least mix those in with the traditional favorites. Also, consider taking a look at the nutritional facts on the label for each candy. Determine the amount of calories and how much sugar you’re consuming before you do, so that you’re aware of just how far you’ve pushed it in terms of your consumption (before you go overboard).

Finally, there’s a psychological component to this, too. Try to keep your trick-or-treat stash out of sight when you’re not ready for a quick snack. Studies show that candy stored in a clear bowl or on your desk is much more likely to get eaten than candy that’s kept out of sight. Impulse control can be tricky, and never more so than when we tempt ourselves right in front of our faces.

Forget the haunted house — the amount of sugar in candy corn has to be the scariest thing you’ll see on October 31st!