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16 Sickeningly Sweet Easter Candies

Some Easter basket treats are packed with more sugar and fat than you’d expect.

Author:: Althea Chang
Publish date:: Apr 1, 2010 7:00 AM EDT

Candy can be OK in moderation, but Easter baskets could be the temptation that sparks a candy binge. Before your kids try to find out how many Peeps they can stuff into their mouths at once, or before you stock up during post-Easter candy sales, here are some interesting facts you might want to know about all of those festive sweets. Photo Credit: tauntingpanda

Candy can be OK in moderation, but Easter baskets could be the temptation that sparks a candy binge. Before your kids try to find out how many Peeps they can stuff into their mouths at once, or before you stock up during post-Easter candy sales, here are some interesting facts you might want to know about all of those festive sweets. Photo Credit: tauntingpanda

They may seem fairly innocent, but these light and fluffy favorites are practically pure sugar. Each Peep packs in about 8 grams of sugar, notes Newsweek, and eating a pack of five gives you as much of the sweet stuff as a regular 12-ounce can of Coke (Stock Quote: KO). Photo Credit: brettneilson

There are sugar-free versions of the spongy, pastel-colored Peeps. There’s no sugar, but they do contain a derivative of sugar, according to WebMD. A pack of three may only cost you 60 calories, but you’re ingesting sucralose and a few ingredients with hard-to-read names like polyglycitol syrup, which may not be much healthier than corn syrup. Photo Credit: Qfamily

Chocolate bunnies are a classic Easter treat, but you might not want to eat a whole one in one sitting unless you’re eager to pack in nearly a day’s worth of calories. According to Newsweek, a 7-ounce chocolate bunny contains 1,050 calories. You may want to opt for a smaller one. A 1-ounce bunny, for example, is only 140 calories, the magazine reports. Photo Credit: SpecialKolin

Love them or hate them, Cadbury (Stock Quote: CBY) Crème Eggs do provide a good amount of calcium, according to Newsweek. But those 40 milligrams of the bone-building mineral come with 150 calories, 22 grams of sugar and 5 grams of fat. Photo Credit: ginnerobot

Many peanut butter lovers look forward to Easter simply because of this big, creamy and sweet peanut butter-filled egg which contains more filling than your average peanut butter cup. But the eggs contain a hefty 11 grams of fat, according to WebMD (Stock Quote: WBMD). One plus: each peanut butter egg also offers one gram of fiber. Photo Credit: quinn.anya

It may be hollow, but this Hershey’s egg is dense with 41 grams of fat. “This may be one of the few Easter offerings that makes a Reese's Peanut Butter Egg look like health food,” notes Newsweek. Photo Credit: Neil T

It’s easy to eat a dozen of these eggs without thinking much of it, but if you do, you’re ingesting about 190 calories and 8 grams of fat, according to Newsweek. Photo Credit: lalaK

They may just be small bits of gelatin and sugar, but if you’re an absent-minded snacker, you may not be aware of just how many you can put down in one sitting. According to Newsweek, consuming a serving of 35 Jelly Bellies means packing in 140 calories from 37 grams of sugar, again, compared to 40 grams in your average can of Coke. Photo Credit: g-hat

Russell Stover, for example, makes sugar-free jelly beans for those averse to the sweeter sins. About 35 of those come with approximately 110 calories, according to WebMD. Plus, you’ll be consuming some sucralose, starch, beeswax and carnauba wax, among other ingredients. Photo Credit: aresauburn

In just a couple of soft and creamy bites, these egg-shaped truffles provide 10 grams of fat and 150 calories, according to WebMD. Photo Credit: dovechocolate.com

With 8 grams of fat and 140 calories, Almond Joy Eggs might not be the healthiest treat, but they do offer one gram of fiber, according to WebMD. And that single almond offers a tiny bit of omega-3 fatty acids. Photo Credit: vvvracer

Yet another candy bar turned Easter-themed treat, the Milky Way Egg’s thick center packs nougat and caramel goodness with 6 grams of fat and 19 grams of carbs. At the very least, it contains a gram of protein, however, according to The Daily Plate. Photo Credit: cyclonebill

Eight of these little robin eggs with the classic malt ball center may not contain an absurd amount of fat, but a bit more sugar than some of the other chocolaty treats. One serving gives you 29 grams of sugar and 180 calories. Photo Credit: oskay

Perhaps more visually appealing to an actual bunny, Lindt’s chocolate carrots are simply chocolate in the shape of a veggie. Four of the chocolates have 210 calories, according to Newsweek. Photo Credit: PinkMoose

There isn’t too much fat in an Elmer’s Toasted Marshmallow Egg, about 2.5 grams, but the treat for marshmallow lovers does pack 14 grams of sugar, according to WebMD. Those who have trouble limiting themselves to just one bite might prefer one serving of these over an entire pack of Peeps. Photo Credit: QuotableKidney

On its list of Easter basket treats, WebMD includes the simple protein-packed egg. But to get some kids to eat them hard-boiled, you may need to dye them until the egg white under the shell changes colors. Each egg has about 6 grams of protein, plus vitamins and minerals, WebMD notes. Photo Credit: EraPhernalia Vintage

There are healthy – and fun - alternatives to the fatty, sugary and chemical-laden Easter treats. Natural fruit snacks and sugar-free gum, for instance, could suffice, or if your kid has a taste for dark chocolate, that treat doesn’t contain as much fat as milk chocolate. Plus, putting toys in an Easter basket might not be a bad idea either. In addition to saving your kid’s teeth, you’ll be giving them something that can last much longer than any candy. Photo Credit: sweetfixNYC

Still concerned about your kids’ sugar consumption? Don’t forget about those favorite sugary cereals. Check out MainStreet’s story on 10 Seriously Sugary Cereals. Photo Credit: trekkyandy

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Festive But Fat-Laden?

Candy can be OK in moderation, but Easter baskets could be the temptation that sparks a candy binge. Before your kids try to find out how many Peeps they can stuff into their mouths at once, or before you stock up during post-Easter candy sales, here are some interesting facts you might want to know about all of those festive sweets. Photo Credit: tauntingpanda