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What 100 Calories Really Looks Like: Valentine's Day Treats

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:52:19 PST

The day of love is almost here, and besides exchanging Valentine's Day cards and romantic glances, this is a huge day of sweets. We're talking boxes of chocolate, heart-shaped sugar cookies, and other decadent treasures. You should definitely enjoy some bites of your favorite desserts, but before you do, find out how many calories those little bites will run you.

Can You Spin Through the History of Cotton Candy?

Anna Monette Roberts — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:36:52 PST

Chances are, you weren't aware that today's National Cotton Candy Day - but that doesn't mean you can't celebrate. After all, what's not to love about this special-occasion, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth, spun-sugar treat? Now's the time to test your knowledge; this carnival, circus, and fair favorite is older than you might think. Take our quiz to see what you know.

Source: Flickr User chispita_666

Take the Quiz

3 Ways to Make the Most of Your Halloween Candy

Lizzie Fuhr — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:08:54 PDT

It's been only two days since the trick-or-treaters hit the streets, but I'm already feeling the leftover candy overload. While those fun-sized candies really hit the spot, there's only so much one stomach can handle. You can always store those Halloween goodies and save them for a rainy day, or you could try a different approach.

There's no better way to make use of leftover Halloween goodies than cooking up a delicious dessert everyone in your house can enjoy. If you have a trick-or-treater living under your roof, it's even sweeter if you get them involved. Here are three recipes that will help make the most of your Halloween candy.

Use leftover peanut butter cups to make these delicious Halloween blondies.
Shortbread bars can be topped off with any leftover chocolate candy you have on hand.
Curious about channeling your inner chocolatier? Basic chocolate bark is a great place to start. This recipe utilizes leftover candy corn, but the sky is the limit here. Don't be afraid to get creative with your candy choices!

Have any favorite recipes or traditions that use leftover Halloween candy? Be sure to share them in Savory Sights. Who knows? We may feature your recipe!

Source: Flickr User respres

Infograph: Results For the Best Candy of All Time!

YumSugar — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 03:15:06 PDT

We've wrapped up the results of our exclusive Best Candy of All Time Bracket! We asked over 7,000 readers to pick their all-time favorite candy out of a star-studded lineup of some of the world's most popular candies. See the candy breakout by the numbers and find out what chocolate confection won the top spot. Check out the infograph below and then tell us your thoughts and favorite sweets in the comments.

What Healthy Choices Will You Be Making This Halloween?

FitSugar — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 03:06:00 PDT

Thanksgiving and Christmas aren't the only overly indulgent holidays. Halloween gives them a run for the caloric title spot. Between candied apples, trick-or-treating stock, and Halloween-inspired cocktails, it can be hard to resist the constant temptations. But anything helps, whether it's bringing a healthier treat to your neighborhood Halloween party or limiting the amount of Halloween candy you consume, so what healthy choices will you be making? If you need ideas, check out our healthy Halloween survival guide for tips!

Trick or Treat: What's the Healthier Halloween Choice?

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:43:41 PDT

I'm not going to tell you not to eat Halloween candy this year, because we all are a little psyched for Snickers and Reese's! When you head to the office bowl or snag a treat from your kid's stash, it's nice to have a list of candy you know is slightly healthier either because it's trans-fat free or contains a little fiber or protein. Based on info from nutrition labels on bags of Halloween candy, check out the lists below to find out how to choose your fun-sized treats wisely.

If you're avoiding hydrogenated oils, go for:
Candy corn
Heath Bar
Hershey's Bar
Kit Kat
M&Ms
Peanut M&Ms
Peanut Butter M&Ms
Mounds
Mr. Goodbar
Nestle's Crunch
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
York Peppermint Patty

If you want a little bit of fiber, check out the fiber content in the candy below:
Peanut M&Ms: 0.5 grams
Mounds: 1 gram
Mr. Goodbar: 0.5 grams
Peanut Butter M&Ms: 0.5 grams
Snickers: 0.5 grams
Snickers Peanut Butter: 1 gram

Keep reading to find out which fun-sized treats offer protein and which are lowest in calories and sugar.

The Best Candy of All Time - Our Exclusive Survey Results!

Susannah Chen — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:30:05 PDT

We hope you've got a sweet tooth, because we're excited to reveal the results of our exclusive Best Candy of All Time Bracket! We asked over 7,000 readers to pick their all-time favorite candy out of a star-studded lineup of some of the world's most popular candies.

With our survey results, we're breaking down candy by the numbers. Curious to see whether chocolate bars outperformed fruity candies, or which licorice took top place? Then read on - some of the answers are bound to surprise you.

Or check out our bracket infograph for all the results in one sweet spot!

What Do You Know About America's Top Candy Destinations?

Susannah Chen — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:50:16 PDT

This Halloween, trick-or-treaters can diversify their candy bags by digging into top-selling sweets from around the globe.

But for a more interactive experience, there's no better way to get your sugar fix than to hit up the country's top candy destinations.

Do you know what they are and where they're located? Unwrap more candy hot spot trivia when you take this quiz.

Take the Quiz

10 Nostalgic Candies to Remember

Susannah Chen — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:50:31 PDT

This time of year, it's impossible to walk into any office or store without candy bowls full of M&M's, candy corn, or homemade candy begging to be eaten.

Skittles and Starburst may dominate doorsteps today, but that wasn't always the case; an entirely different subset of confections were popular in the first half of the 20th century. Although many of them have faded into oblivion, a few old favorites can still be found on candy shelves today. Here are a handful we can't resist reminiscing about.

Candy Coded: What You Need to Know About Your Favorite Sweets

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 03:09:35 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Fitness Magazine here on FitSugar!

It seems like these days there's always a reason for a sweet treat - holidays, baby showers, birthdays, and the list goes on. We could tell you not to eat it, but unless you have the willpower of a saint everyone craves sugar once in a while. To help, we got the dish on the best drugstore treats to nibble on and the ones to completely nix.

1. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
"If you're craving chocolate, then the darker, the better," says Katie Cavuto Boyle, RD, owner of Healthy Bites. "Dark chocolate has less sugar, is dairy-free, and is rich in antioxidants that have been shown to reduce blood pressure and decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease."

Nibble: Hershey's Miniatures: Special Dark
Serving Size: 5 pieces
200 calories; 13g fat; 7g saturated fat; 25mg sodium; 24g carbs; 18g sugar; 3g protein
Nix: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures
Serving Size: 5 pieces
220 calories; 13g fat; 5g saturated fat; 130mg sodium; 26g carbs; 23g sugar; 4g protein

2. Go Nuts!
"Chocolate that contains nuts may be even better for you, because the nuts contain a variety of nutrients and healthy fats that may displace some of the total chocolate, sugar, etc.," says Marie Spano, RD, owner of Marie Spano Nutrition Consulting in Atlanta.

Nibble: Dove Silky Smooth Almond Milk Chocolate Bar
Serving Size: 1 bar
190 calories; 12g fat; 6g saturated fat; 20mg sodium; 18g carbs; 16g sugar; 3g protein
Nix: Twix Caramel Cookie Bars
Serving Size: 2 cookies (1 pack)
250 calories; 12g fat; 9g saturated fat; 100mg sodium; 33g carbs; 24g sugar; 2g protein/li>

More suggestions for making the better candy choice after the break.