Diet Strategies: Sugar and Your Kids  

This Halloween, Americans will shell out nearly $2 billion to stuff the neighborhood kids with Kit Kats and candy corn -- about 28 bucks' worth for every little Lance in the country. Don't let all that sugar go to your kids' waistlines -- grab a handful for your own mid- and post-bike ride or run energy needs.

 

"Halloween candy obviously shouldn't replace healthier energy foods such as bars and bananas on every ride," says sports nutritionist Jacqueline Berning, R.D., associate professor at the University of Colorado. "But once in a while it's a refreshing change for your palate, and frankly if you use it wisely, it can give you the same short-term performance gains." Here she helps us evaluate some trick-or-treat favorites.

 

Snickers, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and similar candy bars 

Slow-burning fuel. Halloween fun-size bars deliver about 75 calories, 13 grams of carbs, 1g protein and 3g fat per pop. Protein and fat in the nuts and nougat slow down the emptying of sugar from your stomach to your bloodstream. They're too heavy for hard, fast efforts, but when you're tooling around for a few hours, they deliver sweet, even energy.

 

Candy corn, Bit-O-Honey, Starburst, Twizzlers and other chewy-fruity sweets 

Bonk protection. A trick-or-treat-sized serving delivers about 150 calories and about 32g of carbs rolled in 3g fat. The honey in candy corn and Bit-O-Honey is as effective an energy source as commercial sports gels. Starburst actually provides 37% of your daily vitamin C needs. Use them anytime you're flagging on a hard ride. Look like a pro and paste those Bit-O-Honey bites right on your top tube. Or stash candy corn, cut-up Twizzlers or unwrapped Starburst in your jersey pocket.

 

Raisins 

This universally despised Halloween handout is a good source of potassium, an important electrolyte lost in sweat, which your body needs for cramp-free muscle contraction. Also rich in inulin, a fiberlike carbohydrate that protects against colon cancer. Eat them 30–60 minutes before a ride. With about 100 calories and 28g of carbs per ¼-cup box, raisins provide as much energy as a gel, but the fiber can stimulate movement of another kind, so give yourself ample digestion time.

 

SweeTarts, Pixy Stix, jelly beans 

Rocket fuel. Nothing but sugar, these candies serve up about 40 calories a fistful.  On the homestretch. Sugary sweets cause glucose to peak quickly and crash just as fast. Pop 'em for a quick burst of energy at the end of a long effort.

 

Hershey bars, Kisses, and other straight-up chocolate 

Melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Hershey's Kisses weigh in at about 25 calories per kiss. Steal the dark chocolate treats first (your kids probably hate them anyway): Studies show dark chocolate contains the same heart-healthy antioxidants found in red wine and tea. Good for a post-ride treat. Pure chocolate can be too rich to use as a fuel source and is better savored along with a skim-milk mocha at the end of a long, hard autumn ride.

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