I do not advocate eating candy with type 2 diabetes, but I am a strong believer in knowledge and having a plan for unexpected situations. I also know we are all human. Holidays like Halloween, candy offered by friends and co-workers, and a plethora of other situations can take you by surprise.
If you can’t resist candy altogether, the fun -size, snack-size, and mini-size candy packets let you enjoy a bite or two so you can feel you have satisfied your craving while helping with portion control. Here is a list and info on the carb counts of fun-sized candy.
Your best bet for the exact nutritional information is the nutrition label on the bag or from nutrition lists. If these are not available and someone is offering you a hard-to-resist treat, it is a good idea to have general carb counts memorized. This list has been organized in a way to help you get a grasp of and remember carb counts for popular candy treats.
More importantly, remember to keep a tally of the total amount of candy you have consumed. Just because a particular treat only has 2 g of carb per serving, it is still easy to quickly consume an amount that will hurt your diabetes management.
There are sugar-free candy options as well, but they have pros and cons. Remember, you are more likely to be offered a Snicker's Mini by a co-worker than a sugar-free piece of chocolate when you are ravenous. The use of artificial sweeteners is debatable and a personal choice. Some people with diabetes like using artificial sweeteners, some would rather eat small amounts of foods with sugar, while others abstain completely. If you choose to include small amounts of sugary foods in your diet, make sure to get the approval and guidance of your doctor.
Candy should be a rare treat since it is usually devoid of good nutrition. Be mindful and make sure most of your food choices help you manage blood sugar levels and nourish your body.
The nutrition label or other reliable nutrition data source is your best bet for information. While I provide general ideas of carb counts, remember there are some candies that may severely break the rules. Get to know the carb counts for candy you are most likely to encounter or crave.
Fun-Size, Snack-Size, and Mini-Size Candy Standards
There are no standards or regulations for what can be labeled fun, snack, or mini. Also some brands can have a product that comes in more than one size that is labeled "fun-size."
General Fun Size Candy Carb Counts
Currently the fun-size candy packs have around 7 to 15 g of carbs. Mini-size candy packs range from 4.4 to 8 g of carb. It might be useful to assume the fun sizes have about 15 g of carb and the minis have about 5 g of carb.
General Counts of Smaller Candy by Piece
Plain M&Ms - 0.5 g carb per piece or 5 g carb per 10 pieces
Peanut M&Ms - 1.25 g carb per piece or 7.5 g carb per 6 pieces
Skittles - 1 g carb per piece
Tootsie Roll – 7 g carb per midgee and 2 g carb per mini-midgee
Starburst - 5 g carb per piece
Fun-Size Chocolate Bars
3 Musketeers - 12 g carb
100 Grand - 8 g carb
100 Grand - 15 g carb
Almond Joy - 10 g carb
Baby Ruth - 13 g carb
Butterfinger - 15 g carb
Kit Kat - 10 g carb
Milky Way - 12 g carb
Mounds - 10 g carb
Nestle's Crunch - 7 g carb
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups – 12 g carb
Snickers - 10 g carb
Snickers Almond Bars - 11 g carb
Twix - 10 g carb
Mini-Size Chocolate Bars
Hershey's Miniatures include little bars of Hershey's Milk Chocolate, Special Dark, Krackel, and Mr. Goodbar chocolates. The average carb count is 5 g of carb per bar.
3 Musketeers - 4.4 g carbAlmond Joy - 8 g carb
Butterfinger - 5 g carb (bite size)
Butterfinger - 7.3 g carb
Kit Kat - 5.6 g carb
Milky Way - 6 g carb
Nestle's Crunch - 7 g carb (miniature bar)
Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups - 5 g carb
Snickers - 4.4 g carb
Twix - 6.6 g carb
Other Small-Sized Candy Packs
Junior Mints - 12 g carb (fun size)
M&Ms (peanut or plain) - 12 g of carb (fun size)
M&Ms (peanut or plain) - 15 g of carb (mini)
Milk Duds - 9 g carb (snack size)
Pay Day - 10 g carb (snack size)
Skittles - 17.5 g carb (mini pack)
Starburst - 10 g carb (fun size with two pieces per stick)
Whoppers - 5 g carb (small tube)
Whoppers - 16 g carb (small pouch)
