Should you let your kids gorge on Halloween candy? | CNN

Every year, trick-or-treat sacks are full of familiar candy: Hershey bars, Snickers minis, Necco wafers and SweeTarts, for example. Which makes you wonder: Whatever happened to ...? Bar None, for example, was introduced by Hershey in 1987 and had chocolate wafers with peanuts and chocolate cream. The recipe was changed in the '90s, and the bar was discontinued in 1997. Here are some other candies you can't get anymore (at least in the United States):

Photos: Candy you can't get anymore

PHOTO: From Hershey's

Every year, trick-or-treat sacks are full of familiar candy: Hershey bars, Snickers minis, Necco wafers and SweeTarts, for example. Which makes you wonder: Whatever happened to ...? Bar None, for example, was introduced by Hershey in 1987 and had chocolate wafers with peanuts and chocolate cream. The recipe was changed in the '90s, and the bar was discontinued in 1997. Here are some other candies you can't get anymore (at least in the United States):

Photos: Candy you can't get anymore

PHOTO: From Beech Nut

These days, Beech-Nut is best known for its baby-food products. But in the early and mid-20th century, the brand was one of the leading purveyors of chewing gum. You can still find its Fruit Stripe gum -- made by a different company -- but the mint flavors are no longer.

Bonkers were Starburst-like chews that featured a fruit filling. Introduced by Nabisco in the '80s, they were phased out a decade later. In 2014, Leaf Brands picked up Bonkers, but the company is still in the process of arranging distribution. One wonders if they'll also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf9i-XVeFBY" target="_blank" target="_blank">bring back the commercials</a>.

Photos: Candy you can't get anymore

PHOTO: From Nabisco

Bonkers were Starburst-like chews that featured a fruit filling. Introduced by Nabisco in the '80s, they were phased out a decade later. In 2014, Leaf Brands picked up Bonkers, but the company is still in the process of arranging distribution. One wonders if they'll also bring back the commercials.

The Butterfinger chocolate bar has been around since the 1920s, and an offshoot -- Butterfinger BBs -- was introduced in the early 1990s, with Bart Simpson as a spokescharacter. Unlike "The Simpsons," however, the ball-shaped chocolate didn't last, and it was discontinued in 2006.

Photos: Candy you can't get anymore

PHOTO: From Nestle

The Butterfinger chocolate bar has been around since the 1920s, and an offshoot -- Butterfinger BBs -- was introduced in the early 1990s, with Bart Simpson as a spokescharacter. Unlike "The Simpsons," however, the ball-shaped chocolate didn't last, and it was discontinued in 2006.

Choco'Lite, a Nestle product, was introduced in the early '70s. Similar to an Aero bar -- a popular candy overseas -- the chocolate was aerated and included toffee-like crispy chips. But despite strong early sales, by the end of the 1980s, they had vanished. They are <a href="http://www.inthe70s.com/food/chocolitecandybar0.shtml" target="_blank" target="_blank">much missed</a>.

Photos: Candy you can't get anymore

PHOTO: From Nestle

Choco'Lite, a Nestle product, was introduced in the early '70s. Similar to an Aero bar -- a popular candy overseas -- the chocolate was aerated and included toffee-like crispy chips. But despite strong early sales, by the end of the 1980s, they had vanished. They are much missed.

The Marathon bar took a "good long time" to get through -- and no wonder, given that it was 8 inches of chocolate-covered caramel. But despite its ubiquity in the 1970s (and that of commercial spokesman Marathon John, played by Patrick Wayne), it was phased out in the 1980s. Maybe it took too long to eat.

Photos: Candy you can't get anymore

PHOTO: From Mars

The Marathon bar took a "good long time" to get through -- and no wonder, given that it was 8 inches of chocolate-covered caramel. But despite its ubiquity in the 1970s (and that of commercial spokesman Marathon John, played by Patrick Wayne), it was phased out in the 1980s. Maybe it took too long to eat.

PB Max was peanut butter to the max: The chocolate-covered bar also included oats and a cookie along with peanut butter. But the bar, introduced around 1990, was gone within a few years. These days,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/RestorePbMaxToItsFormerGlory" target="_blank" target="_blank"> there's an active Facebook page</a> devoted to bringing it back.

Photos: Candy you can't get anymore

PHOTO: From Mars

PB Max was peanut butter to the max: The chocolate-covered bar also included oats and a cookie along with peanut butter. But the bar, introduced around 1990, was gone within a few years. These days, there's an active Facebook page devoted to bringing it back.

The candymakers at Peter Paul were well known for Almond Joy and Mounds. ("Almond Joy's got nuts; Mounds don't,"<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdwVw4KZ_Bc" target="_blank" target="_blank"> the commercials explained</a>.) But for a while there was a third chocolate bar: PowerHouse, which contained peanuts, fudge and caramel. Peter Paul obtained the rights in 1966 <a href="http://www.sugarpressure.com/2009/12/making-history-monday-peter-paul---power-house-candy-bar-wrapper---1970s.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">through a merger with another company</a>. In the late '80s, Peter Paul was bought by Hershey, and somewhere along the way, PowerHouse vanished.

Photos: Candy you can't get anymore

PHOTO: From Peter Paul Halajian

The candymakers at Peter Paul were well known for Almond Joy and Mounds. ("Almond Joy's got nuts; Mounds don't," the commercials explained.) But for a while there was a third chocolate bar: PowerHouse, which contained peanuts, fudge and caramel. Peter Paul obtained the rights in 1966 through a merger with another company. In the late '80s, Peter Paul was bought by Hershey, and somewhere along the way, PowerHouse vanished.

The Reggie bar was a product of a particular time: late-'70s America, when New York Yankees slugger Reggie Jackson<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZNTzxVNv24" target="_blank" target="_blank"> hit three home runs in one 1977 World Series game</a>. By Opening Day 1978, Reggie bars were being handed out at the Yankees' home opener (and <a href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/04/reggie-jackson-yankees-candy" target="_blank" target="_blank">thrown on the field in celebration</a>). The round bar, which consisted of caramel and peanuts in milk chocolate, was gone by the early '80s, though it had a short-lived comeback in the early '90s, when Jackson made the Hall of Fame. Technically, you can still get it under its original name: <a href="http://pearsonscandy.com/candy/bun-bar" target="_blank" target="_blank">the Bun bar</a>.

Photos: Candy you can't get anymore

PHOTO: From Wayne Candies

The Reggie bar was a product of a particular time: late-'70s America, when New York Yankees slugger Reggie Jackson hit three home runs in one 1977 World Series game. By Opening Day 1978, Reggie bars were being handed out at the Yankees' home opener (and thrown on the field in celebration). The round bar, which consisted of caramel and peanuts in milk chocolate, was gone by the early '80s, though it had a short-lived comeback in the early '90s, when Jackson made the Hall of Fame. Technically, you can still get it under its original name: the Bun bar.

Ah, Space Dust. The late '70s candy was an offshoot of Pop Rocks, but both products quickly became the subject of <a href="http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/poprocks.asp" target="_blank" target="_blank">schoolyard urban legends</a>. (You don't want to know what allegedly happened to Mikey!) You can <a href="http://www.pop-rocks.com/about-us/" target="_blank" target="_blank">still buy Pop Rocks</a>, but Space Dust has bitten the ... well, you know.

Photos: Candy you can't get anymore

PHOTO: From General Foods

Ah, Space Dust. The late '70s candy was an offshoot of Pop Rocks, but both products quickly became the subject of schoolyard urban legends. (You don't want to know what allegedly happened to Mikey!) You can still buy Pop Rocks, but Space Dust has bitten the ... well, you know.

Originally the Nestle Magic Ball, the Wonder Ball was a hollow chocolate ball filled with candy. It was introduced in the '90s, reworked and reintroduced in 2000. But even that edition lasted only until 2004. They <a href="http://www.nationwidecandy.com/snacks/items/10655.htm" target="_blank" target="_blank">do exist online</a> -- now made by Frankford -- but have long disappeared from stores. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po915tRgLOY" target="_blank" target="_blank">So much for candy surprises</a>.

Photos: Candy you can't get anymore

PHOTO: from Nestle

Originally the Nestle Magic Ball, the Wonder Ball was a hollow chocolate ball filled with candy. It was introduced in the '90s, reworked and reintroduced in 2000. But even that edition lasted only until 2004. They do exist online -- now made by Frankford -- but have long disappeared from stores. So much for candy surprises.

Story highlights

Jill Castle, dietitian: Candy is not great, but OK for kids to eat it at Halloween if there's a plan for portions

She says the trick is to deal with the candy left over after the holiday, and there are several good strategies for that

Editor’s Note: Jill Castle is a dietitian, nutritionist and childhood nutrition expert. She is the author of “Eat Like a Champion: Performance Nutrition for Your Young Athlete,” co-author of “Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters from High Chair to High School,” and creator of “Just the Right Byte,” a childhood nutrition blog.

CNN —

I have been through many Halloweens. As a pediatric nutritionist, and a mom to four kids, I have faced the annual candy conundrum: We want our kids to eat healthy things all year round, but on this one day, we allow a mountain of candy into our homes and say: OK, you can eat that. Most of us, at least.

Is this a disastrous idea? It would seem that way at first: Candy is scary for many parents, and for good reason.

Courtesy of Jill Castle

Jill Castle

According to the World Health Organization, kids are only supposed to be eating about 10% of their daily caloric intake from sugar.

But the grim reality is that many of them are exceeding this recommendation, even on non-Halloween days. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 16% of boys’ daily calorie intake comes from added sugar, and girls are getting about 15% of their daily calories from the sweet stuff, including in seemingly “healthy” food, such as spaghetti sauce, yogurt and cereal.