Halloween Candy Guide (What’s Low FODMAP and What’s Not)
This time of year Halloween candy is everywhere you look. At work, at parties, at the checkout counter in your favorite store, even at the bank! And it’s tempting to enjoy snacking on a piece or two every place you go.
And let’s face it, at some point, you’re going to want to eat some Halloween candy!
If you are following a low FODMAP diet and Halloween is here. What do you do?
Instead of diving in and eating all of it with wild abandon, how about you do a little learning and planning so you don’t end up feeling terrible?!
Here are three rules to live by:
Don’t eat the candy at all those places I mentioned. You’ll just be stuffing it in your mouth because it’s there. Save your candy-eating for a time you can eat something you particularly like and you can take time to enjoy it.
Read the list below and stick to the low(er) FODMAP candies in the serving sizes recommended.
When you’re finished handing out candy to all the little neighborhood ghouls and goblins, toss it out or donate it. Don’t keep it around the house to “munch on” for days or weeks to come.
Keep it special. Keep it planned. And keep it to a minimum!
This list is excerpted from this post by FODMAP Every Day
Low(er) and High FODMAP Halloween Candy List
For the purposes of this list we are dealing with sweet candies and we feel fairly confident that no natural flavors were derived from onion or garlic, so a few of the candies listed below in the approved columns do contain natural flavors.
If you go rogue and start eating garlic jelly beans (yes, those are a thing), then all bets are off! Don’t do it.
Any candies that clearly list high FODMAP ingredients are on the high FODMAP list.
If you have a history with a particular ingredient, pay attention to your well-earned self-knowledge and stay away.
Serving Size Recommendations
Serving size recommendations are made by Vanessa Cobarrubia RDN as a guide and are based on the Monash University low FODMAP Diet App recommendations for serving sizes for individual ingredients.
As is always the case – we are not offering medical advice and you should always confer with your medical and healthcare team to ensure that you are following guidelines appropriate for your individual body’s needs.
Candy lists are below for your reference. See each list by clicking on the “+” sign to the right.
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These are the candies we recommend (in alphabetical order by candy name) – in moderation, of course.
Atomic Fireballs: Practice moderation. Maybe 3 per serving.
Boston Baked Beans: Maximum 20 to 25 per serving.
Butterfingers: #7 on many favorite lists. These have some FODMAPs, but they are listed as less than 1% on the label. Start off with half a full-size bar or 1 to 2 fun size bars, or the equivalent of 3 to 4 bites.
Circus Peanuts: Practice moderation. Maybe 4 pieces max. Some say these are the most hated candy – but someone is eating them!
Conversation Hearts: Maybe 6 to 8 pieces max.
Dove Promises Silky Smooth Dark: Limit to 3 pieces (24 g total).
Dum Dums (lollipops): Limit to 4 to 5.
Haribo Gummi Bears: Limit to 15 gummi bears.
Haribo Sour Goldbears: Limit to 15 gummi bears.
Jolly Ranchers: Limit to 3 to 4.
Junior Mints: Limit to 12 mini mints.
Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups: Limit to 1 peanut butter cup (20 g) and increase to 2 peanut butter cups (if desired) based on personal tolerance.
Justin’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups: There are no additional milk solids, milk, or lactose added in ingredients outside of the milk chocolate. Limiting to 1 peanut butter cup should keep milk chocolate in safe range.
Laffy Taffy: Limit to 3 mini pieces.
Lifesavers Peppermint and Wint-O-Green: Limit to 6
Marshmallows: Exclude any with high fructose corn syrup, inulin or other high FODMAP ingredients: For standard size limit to 4 to 5.
Mounds: Limit to ½ of a full size bar or 1 to 2 snack size bars.
Mr. Goodbar: Limit to ¼ of a full size bar or 1 fun size.
NECCO Wafers: Limit to 10 to 15 wafers.
Nerds: #6 on many lists. Limit to about 1 ½ tablespoons.
Peeps: These are marshmallows; see above. Limit to 3 to 4 peeps.
Reese’s Pieces: Limit to 20 to 25 pieces.
Skittles: #9 on many favorite lists. Limit to 15 to 20 skittles.
Smarties: Limit to 2 rolls.
Sno-Caps: Limit to 1 to 2 tablespoons.
Sour Patch Kids: #8 on many favorite lists. Limit to 6 to 8 pieces.
Swedish Fish: Limit to 2 to 3 pieces.
Sweet Tarts: Limit to 6 to 8 pieces.
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We recommend that you do not eat these candies. Or, at least know what you are getting into.
Kit Kat: #4 on many favorite lists. Contain wheat flour, lactose, and dairy
Milk Duds: These are milk chocolate based, which is allowed in .5 ounce/15 g amounts, but also contain multiple milk products
Milky Way: These are milk chocolate based, which is allowed in .5 ounce/15 g amounts, but also contain additional milk products, lactose, and malted barley which is untested by Monash
Starbursts: Contain fruit juice concentrates, including apple.
Tootsie Rolls: Contain condensed skim milk and additional whey.
Twix: #3 on many favorite lists. Contain wheat flour, lactose, and dairy
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For this category, Vanessa recommends trying a small piece to assess your own tolerances. Note that many of these come in “minis”, which might be a great place to start.
Almond Joy: These list milk products multiple times and we cannot be sure of the amount of lactose.
Dove Promises Silky Smooth Milk: These list milk products multiple times and we cannot be sure of the amount of lactose.
Heath Bar: These list milk products multiple times and we cannot be sure of the amount of lactose.
Hershey Bar: #10 on many favorite lists. These list milk products multiple times and we cannot be sure of the amount of lactose.
M & M’s: #5 on many favorite lists. We cannot be sure of lactose content. Try a few.
Mars Bar: These list milk products multiple times and we cannot be sure of the amount of lactose; also lists barley malt.
Nestlés Crunch: These list milk products multiple times and we cannot be sure of the amount of lactose; also lists barley malt.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: #1 on many favorite lists. These list milk products multiple times and we cannot be sure of the amount of lactose.
Skor: These list milk products multiple times and we cannot be sure of the amount of lactose.
Snickers Bar: #2 on many favorite lists. These list milk products multiple times and we cannot be sure of the amount of lactose.
Three Musketeers: These list milk products multiple times and we cannot be sure of the amount of lactose.
Twizzlers: Contain wheat flour
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