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Television personality and AZfoothills.com columnist Nadine Toren is scouring the area, finding savvy Valley features, bringing readers “on the scene.” Every day she’ll introduce you to celebrities, athletes, and give you an inside look into local events and hot spots. She'll touch on topical issues, and keep AZ fans posted on all the big talkers around town.

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Caution: after reading this you’ll likely be tempted to bid farewell to trick-or-treating.

 

The average child collects an estimated 3,500-7,000 calories on Halloween.  That, according to Dr. Donna Arnett, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's School of Public Health.  And to put that in perspective, a 100-pound kid who eats 7,000 calories worth of candy would have to walk more than 40 hours or play full-court basketball for 14.5 hours to burn those calories.  Are you second guessing that Kit-Kat bar?

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the caloric Halloween count is quite a buzz-kill. So before you savor your favorite sweets, you might want to consider their nutritional breakdown.  And here is goes…

Are you a fan of fruity candy like Skittles?  If you are, get ready to intake 250 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and 47 grams of sugar—that’s the same amount of sugar in almost four Krispy Kreme Doughnuts!  Instead of getting that crazy sugar high, have some Welch’s Fruit Snacks.  The “healthier” option has a nice dose of vitamin C.

But if you crave chocolate, brace yourself.  One Hershey Milk Bar has 210 calories and 13 grams of fat.  Two Hershey Kisses have 50 calories; however, it’s tough to only have a couple.  So to secure your savvy waistline, learn to love dark chocolate.  A small dose of the milky alternative even has antioxidants.

And while I’m personally not a fan, lollipop lovers can rejoice—the sweet treat seems to be your best bet.  A Caramel Apple Pop has 60 calories and .5 grams of fat…but they still have a bunch of carbohydrates.  So if you like to lick, choose a fat-free Dum Dum—each has 20 calories and only five grams of carbs. 

Ok, here’s my pick: anything with peanut butter.  However, turns out I’ll be ending my relationship with Reese’s.  A normal package of the peanut-filled treat has, unfortunately, 210 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 21 grams of sugar.  To make things worse, a bar of Butterfinger has 270 calories and 11 grams of fat.  And while it’s tough to substitute a healthier alternative, you can always opt for a scoop of peanut butter out of the jar.  (But I know…it’s just not the same.)

But if you prefer sippers over sweets, have we got a treat for you!  Thanks to the Valley’s Salty Senorita, we’re dishing the most delectable ingredients to Halloween cocktails.  Cheers to your upcoming sugar high.

The Valley Vampire

1oz Cabo Wabo Tequila

1oz X-Rated (Blood Orange and Passion Fruit Liquor)

2oz Sour Mix

Garnish with Cherry and Lime

…Build in glass, shake and strain

 

Little Blood (Red) Riding Hood

1/1/2oz Black Cherry Vodka

1/2oz grenadine

Splash of Coca Cola

Garnish with Maraschino Cherry

…Build in glass, serve

 

Pumpkin Martini

11/2oz Vanilla Vodka

1/2oz Spice Pumpkin Syrup

1/2oz Cream liquor

Garnish with whip cream and Candy Corns

…Shake all ingredients in shaker, serve very cold