Halloween Candy That Won’t Cause Heartburn
When it comes to Halloween candy and heartburn, some treats can also cause tricks a few hours later. So either you forgo all Halloween candy altogether in the hopes that you don’t eat the wrong thing or you figure out which candies cause heartburn and just avoid those.
It’s especially important for people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to sort through their candy bags and leave the heartburn-causing treats behind, so we’ve done the legwork on figuring out which Halloween candy is safe to eat. While it’s important to note that triggers can be different for everyone, so there are no hard-and-fast rules about what is 100% guaranteed to cause heartburn or not cause heartburn, these are some of our favorite Halloween treats that are less likely trigger GERD symptoms in most patients.
Candy Corn
Sure, for many this is the bottom of the proverbial barrel when it comes to Halloween Treats, but for those with GERD, candy corn is highly unlikely to trigger any uncomfortable symptoms of acid reflux while you’re trying to trick or treat. One of the most common triggers with candy isn’t the sugar—it’s the fat content.
Gummy Treats
Gummy bears will alleviate your sweet tooth and are also fat free. While gummy bears are high in sugar, they won’t trigger uncomfortable symptoms of GERD like acid reflux. Other gummy treats like Sour Patch Kids that might seem like they would cause heartburn because of their sour nature actually shouldn’t trigger symptoms of GERD either!
Hershey’s Kisses
While chocolate is widely known as a candy that causes heartburn, sometimes you just can’t quell a chocolate craving with anything but, well, chocolate! If a chocolate craving comes over you, try opting for a treat that’s on the smaller side - like a few Hershey's Kisses or Dove Chocolates.
Twizzlers or Red Vines
Twizzlers and Red Vines are low fat and they can take a long time to eat if you peel them apart, so they are less likely to cause heartburn.
Popcorn Balls
Remember those dry popcorn balls that you normally threw away or traded for candy? Well, those popcorn balls are heartburn safe. You can even find popcorn balls that are drizzled with chocolate or caramel that will also satisfy your sweet craving while not triggering heartburn.
Candy Apples
While we don’t recommend eating the whole thing, a few bites of a candy apple is less likely to cause heartburn than a high-fat, king-sized candy bar.
It’s important to note that not everyone’s heartburn is triggered by the same things, so what might work for you could cause another person’s heartburn to be exacerbated. The abovementioned candies are just suggestions and there are no guarantees that they will not cause heartburn in some cases. But if you choose wisely and limit the amount of candy you eat, you can spend Halloween enjoying treats without the tricks.