10 Holiday Party-Food Dilemmas, Solved

Candy Cane or Chocolate Kisses?

The Better Choice: Candy Cane

There are plenty of good reasons to select the cane over the Kiss. Granted, a candy cane is pure sugar, with no real nutritional value, but as indulgences go, it's pretty mild. "It lasts a lot longer than a piece of chocolate, so it will keep you away from the candy dish for quite a while," says registered dietitian Kristine Clark. A candy cane contains about 55 calories and no fat, while five chocolate Kisses contain 127 calories and seven grams of fat. "Plus, peppermint gives you a lift and freshens your breath," says Lisa Dorfman, a registered dietitian and the author of The Tropical Diet (Food Fitness International, $20, amazon.com). Both are good selling points at a party.

But… If the Kisses are dark chocolate, you will be consuming flavonoids, which will help to offset the artery-clogging extra fat.