If the Easter Bunny visits your house, you may be wondering what kind of candy he will bring. By nature, all candy contains sugar, and maybe preservatives, artificial colorings, and/or unhealthy fats. But thankfully, some kinds are a smidgen healthier than others.

If candy is part of your Easter plans, here are my “a little-bit-better-for-you” ideas for older children and adults:

PayDay® bars have peanuts as the first ingredient, not sugar. They have no artificial dyes and the snack size bars have less than 100 calories each.

Goobers® contain peanuts, too, although milk chocolate is the first ingredient. The label boasts 5 grams of protein per ¼ cup serving. They also contain real cocoa, unlike some chocolates.

Raisinets® get some of their sweetness from raisins (yay, fruit!) Again, they contain cocoa.

Hershey’s® kisses® and Hershey’s ®Milk Chocolate Eggs™ are packaged in child-sized portions, with only about 25 calories per piece.

A few traditional Easter sweets contain sugar and corn syrup as the first two ingredients: jelly beans and colored marshmallow animals. One kind of jelly beans I checked listed 10 dyes in the ingredients. Yikes! Any artificially colored candies contain dyes, so even though they’re pretty to the eyes, they are not healthy. When in doubt, read the ingredients list.

Beth Bence Reinke, MS, RD (registered dietitian)

CAUTION: As noted above, these candy suggestions are for older children. Keep in mind that nuts, raisins and small, hard or chewy candies are choking hazards for babies, toddlers and even some preschoolers. These foods may be dangerous for any child whose ability to chew and swallow are not completely developed. In addition, anyone with food allergies must check product labels carefully. And to avoid cavities, kids should brush their teeth after eating candy.  

And of course, a disclaimer: I have no connections to the candy companies represented and these opinions are my own.