It’s that time of year again. Halloween is right around the corner, and stores nation-wide unveil their stacks upon stacks of sugar-coated, oh-so-tasty treats prepared months in advance by candy manufacturers.

It’s also the season for cold weather attire, the perfect concealing mechanism for the inevitable weight gain most experience upon entering a sugar coma. According to the United States Census Bureau, the average American consumed 24.7 pounds of candy in 2010—that’s about the size of an average two-year-old child or, for you sports fanatics, 25 footballs.

To avoid a sugar overload, here are a few tips to follow when choosing a delectable confection to indulge in.

When selecting a candy, aim for one with a carbohydrate-protein combination. There is no such thing as a “healthy” candy, especially when refined sugar is involved, but a sweet with nuts can provide some nutritional benefits. Sheena Quizon, the University of Alabama’s dietician, says nuts are a heart-healthy protein that can aid in the digestion of the sugar. Proteins slow down the release of sugar into the blood, preventing a sugar rush and untimely crash. A prime example of a candy with the two ideal components are peanut M&M’s. A fun size serving of two packs holds 180 calories (90 from fat), 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 18 grams of sugar, and three grams of protein. Don’t let the extra calories and fat scare you. Nuts are high in both, but the fat is the healthy kind.

Fun size is wise. When standing in the seemingly never-ending candy aisle at the grocery store, remember to go for the fun size, no matter how loud the siren calls of the full size bars. A fun size Nestle Butterfinger serving of two bars contains 170 calories, 60 of those from fat with 3.5 grams of saturated fat and 17 grams of sugar versus a full size bar serving, which has 270 calories, 100 of those from fat and six grams of saturated fat with 28 grams of sugar.  The difference between the two is immense, and so will be your pants size compared to before if you choose to overindulge in the large bars.

Prioritize! Prefer chocolate? Then eat something chocolaty such as two fun-size Snickers bars, which have 160 calories (70 from fat), three grams of saturated fat, 17 grams of sugar and three grams of protein. Prefer fruity flavored candy? Eat without shame a fruity candy, possibly a Ring Pop (Halloween edition, of course), containing 60 calories and 11 grams of sugar. Don’t eat candy just to eat. Eat it to enjoy and savor the flavor.  Choose your favorite and consume a piece or two to kill that craving.  A sure-fire way to avoid candy overkill is to fill up on a healthy meal, and then partake in dessert.

Work for it. To prevent a binge-fest, Quizon recommends stashing your treats in a hard to reach place, a piece of advice I should take into account with my candy drawer.  If I have to climb, sweat or in all reality get off of my butt to get to my stash, the chances of over indulging are less likely.

Don’t let candy’s threat of weight gain scare you, but don’t get crazy, either.  A little candy here and there never hurt anyone. Happy Halloween!