The Best and Worst of Easter Candy

Registered Dietitian Melanie Douglass went through the candy aisle to find out which ones are great for the Easter Bunny to leave, and which ones should be kept in his basket.

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I analyzed the most common types of Easter Candy and came up with a few different lists to help you make small—but beneficial—choices that can save calories, fat and sugar.

Here are the Best-to-Worst choices by calories:

1. Marshmallow Bunny: 1 each

2. Peeps: 2 each

3. Tootsie Pops: 1 each

4. Starburst: 4 each

5. Fruit Snacks: 1 packet

6. Tootsie Roll – Snack Bars: 2 each

7. Jelly Beans: 13 pieces

8. Cadbury Cream Egg: 1 each

9. Milky Way Bunny: 1 each

10. Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg (small): 2 each

11. Robin Eggs: 8 each

12. Cadbury Mini Eggs: 12 each

13. Solid Foil-covered Chocolate Eggs: 7 each

14. Mini KitKat (or candy bars): 5 each

15. Hollow Chocolate Bunny: 1 each

16. Solid Chocolate Bunny: ½ each

Here are the Worst Fat Offenders:

1. Solid Chocolate Bunny (1/2 of a 6 oz. bunny)

2. Hollow Chocolate Bunny (1 whole of a 1 ¾ oz. bunny)

3. 5 mini KitKats (or mini candy bars, 5 each)

4. Chocolate eggs (the classic foil covered mini eggs, 7 each)

5. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (2 small .6 oz egg)

Here are the Worst Sugar Offenders:

1. Solid Chocolate Bunny (1/2 of a 6 oz. bunny)

2. Hollow Chocolate Bunny (1 whole of a 1 ¾ oz. bunny)

3. Robin Eggs (8 each)

4. Cadbury Mini Eggs (12 each)

5. Jelly Beans (13 each)

Here are my 5 BEST Choices for Easter Candy:

1. Marshmallow Bunny (1 each, .5 oz.)

2. Peeps (2 each)

3. Starburst (4 chews)

4. Fruit snacks (1 packet)

5. Cadbury Cream Egg (1 each)

Here are a few “alternative” ideas to toss into the Easter Basket this year:

1. Tic-tacs (kids LOVE these)

2. Sugar-free gum

3. Mott’s Low Sugar 100% juice boxes

4. Toast and Peanut Butter crackers

5. Coloring books, bubbles, books, inexpensive jewelry, box cars, etc

And last but not least, here are all the juicy details—the calorie, fat, saturated fat, and sugar content for the most commonly consumed types of Easter candy:

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