Snickers bars are a popular candy bar made by Mars, Incorporated. The classic Snickers bar contains nougat, peanuts, caramel, and milk chocolate. Snickers bars come in different sizes, including regular size (2 ounces), king size (2.86 ounces), and fun size or mini (0.77 ounces). Fun size Snickers bars are smaller individually wrapped bars that are usually given out for Halloween. With their sweet combination of chocolate, caramel, nougat and peanuts, Snickers bars are a tasty treat. But like all candy, Snickers do contain a considerable number of calories, especially if you eat more than one. So how many calories are actually in a fun size Snickers bar? Let’s take a closer look.
Calories in a Fun Size Snickers
The exact number of calories in a fun size Snickers bar is:
80 calories
This calorie count comes directly from the nutrition facts label found on the fun size Snickers packaging.
So a single fun sized Snickers contains 80 calories. This is less than a regular 2 ounce Snickers bar, which contains 280 calories. The smaller fun size contains less calories because it is a smaller portion overall.
Nutrition Facts for Fun Size Snickers
Here is the complete nutrition facts breakdown for a fun sized Snickers bar:
| Nutrition Facts | Fun Size Snickers (21g) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 80 |
| Total Fat | 3.5g |
| Saturated Fat | 2g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 5mg |
| Sodium | 25mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 11g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g |
| Total Sugars | 9g |
| Includes 8g Added Sugars | 16% |
| Protein | 1g |
As you can see, a single fun size Snickers contains 80 calories, 11g of carbohydrates, 9g of sugar, 3.5g of fat, and 1g of protein. It also provides a small amount of dietary fiber.
The calories come from the chocolate, nougat, caramel and peanuts that make up the candy bar. The sugar also accounts for a significant portion of the calories as there are 9g per bar.
Calories from Sugar in Fun Size Snickers
The 9g of sugar in a fun size Snickers accounts for around 36 calories. This is because there are 4 calories in every gram of sugar. So the 36 calories from sugar make up almost half of the total 80 calories.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar intake to no more than 6 teaspoons or 24 grams for women and 9 teaspoons or 36 grams for men per day. One fun size Snickers contains 8g of added sugar. So eating just one fun size Snickers bar uses up about 1/3 of the recommended daily added sugar intake for women and 1/4 for men.
This shows that while one fun size Snickers is a small treat, the sugar content can quickly add up if you eat multiple pieces in a day. It’s important to account for the sugar from Snickers and other sweets within your total daily calorie needs.
Fat and Saturated Fat in Fun Size Snickers
In addition to sugar, the 3.5g of fat in a fun size Snickers accounts for around 32 calories. Each gram of fat contains 9 calories.
Out of the total fat, 2g are saturated fat. Saturated fat should be limited to no more than 10% of total calories according to the American Heart Association.
So while one fun size Snickers won’t break the saturated fat limit, it’s still something to be mindful of in your overall diet.
Protein, Fiber and Other Nutrients
A fun size Snickers contains 1g of protein, which accounts for around 4 calories. Protein is an important nutrient that helps build muscle, bones and skin.
It also provides 1g of fiber, which is 3% of the daily recommended fiber intake. Fiber promotes healthy digestion and cholesterol levels.
The bar contains minimal amounts of vitamins and minerals. There are 2% of the recommended daily amount of calcium and iron. Besides this, there are trace amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.
So while Snickers do contain a small amount of positive nutrients, they are still considered more of a treat rather than a healthy food choice. The protein, fiber and vitamins found in a fun size bar contribute minimal daily nutrition compared to other whole foods.
Fun Size vs Regular Size Snickers Calories
How do the 80 calories in a fun size Snickers compare to a regular size bar?
Here is the calorie difference:
- Fun size Snickers (21g) – 80 calories
- Regular size Snickers (51g) – 280 calories
As you can see, the regular 2 ounce Snickers bar contains significantly more calories at 280 per bar. This is 200 more calories than the fun size.
This calorie difference is because the regular bar is over twice as large at 51 grams compared to 21 grams for the fun size. So when you eat a full size Snickers, you are consuming a lot more chocolate, caramel, nougat and peanuts than the mini.
Both sizes have a similar calorie density of around 130-140 calories per ounce. But the larger total size of the regular Snickers results in more calories overall.
Daily Calorie Needs
To put the 80 calories from a fun size Snickers in context, here is a look at general daily calorie needs:
- Sedentary women: 1,600 – 2,000 calories
- Active women: 2,000 – 2,400 calories
- Sedentary men: 2,000 – 2,600 calories
- Active men: 2,400 – 3,000 calories
Based on these estimates, an 80 calorie fun size Snickers accounts for about 4-5% of a day’s calories for an average woman or 3-4% for an average man.
For most people, this leaves plenty of room to enjoy a small candy bar like Snickers while still eating healthy overall. Just keep in mind that calories can add up fast if you eat multiple pieces in one sitting.
You can balance out the treat by making sure the rest of your meals contain plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and healthy fats. One Snickers can be part of an otherwise nutrient-rich diet. But regular overconsumption combined with unhealthy meals may hinder weight goals or nutrition.
Burning off the Calories
If you want to burn off those 80 calories from a fun size Snickers bar, here is how much exercise it would take:
- Walking – 17 minutes
- Jogging – 8 minutes
- Swimming – 10 minutes
- Jumping rope – 15 minutes
- Hiking – 14 minutes
As you can see, a brief bout of cardio can burn the 80 calories. So enjoying a small candy bar doesn’t have to sabotage your workout if you balance it out with regular exercise.
Burning the calories from food through activity is healthier than severely restricting intake after eating a treat. This helps prevent overrestriction and promotes a healthy relationship with food.
Weight Gain Risks
Does eating a fun size Snickers cause weight gain on its own? The answer is it depends.
A single fun size Snickers once in a while will not directly result in weight gain for most people. The amount of calories is small enough that your body can easily use or balance out that energy through your basal metabolic rate.
However, excessive intake of fun size Snickers bars or other candy in addition to unhealthy meals can promote weight gain over time. The extra calories beyond your body’s needs will be stored as fat.
Consuming an extra 500 calories per day from Snickers and other sweets, without increasing activity levels, may lead to about 1 pound of weight gain per week. Over a year, that can turn into over 50 pounds.
Practicing moderation and occasionally enjoying a treat like Snickers is perfectly fine for most people’s health goals. But overdoing it on a daily basis can contribute to obesity and other problems.
Healthier Alternatives
If you are looking for a healthier alternative to satisfy a sweet craving, here are some options with less sugar and calories:
- Fresh fruit like berries
- Greek yogurt with honey
- Smoothies with milk and banana
- Apple with peanut butter
- Trail mix with nuts and seeds
- Dark chocolate pieces
- Frozen banana pops
These provide more vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein compared to a candy bar. However, you can still occasionally work a fun size Snickers into your diet in moderation. Completely avoiding treats can backfire and lead to overindulging later on for some people.
Special Diets
Here are some key considerations for a fun size Snickers if you are following a special diet:
Gluten free: Regular Snickers bars are gluten-free as they do not contain wheat, barley, or rye. However, they are produced in facilities that also process gluten products and may contain trace amounts.
Vegan/Dairy free: Snickers contains milk chocolate and are not vegan or dairy-free. Vegan candy alternatives would need to use dark chocolate instead.
Low sugar/Keto: With 9g of sugar in a fun size bar, Snickers would not fit into a low sugar or ketogenic diet. Lower carb candy options include those made with sugar-free sweeteners or mainly dark chocolate.
Nut allergies: Snickers contain peanuts, so they are not safe for people with peanut or nut allergies. Other candy without nuts would need to be selected.
Always check labels for individual food sensitivities and fitness goals. In some cases, a different treat may be a better choice.
Cost
On average, a bag of 10-12 fun size Snickers bars costs around $3-5. This makes each mini bar about 30-50 cents.
So while the portion is smaller, the per-piece cost is actually similar or sometimes more expensive than regular size candy bars.
Of course prices vary by location. Buying in bulk packages usually helps lower the per-bar cost compared to single fun size pieces.
Fun Size Snickers for Halloween
One of the most popular times for fun size candy bars is Halloween trick-or-treating. Along with other brands like Reese’s and Milky Way, fun size Snickers are a classic Halloween candy.
A few considerations if enjoying fun size Snickers for Halloween:
- Children may fill up on candy instead of healthy foods. Have them eat a nutritious dinner before trick-or-treating to help balance it out.
- Limit yourself to 1-2 fun size pieces to keep calories in check.
- Don’t feel like you need to finish the whole candy bag in one sitting.
- Save some to enjoy over the next few days or weeks instead of all at once.
- Freeze extra candy bars to prevent overindulging.
Practicing healthy habits around Halloween candy can let kids and adults enjoy the festivities without going overboard on sugar and calories.
Conclusion
A fun size Snickers bar contains 80 calories, packed into a tiny 0.77 ounce serving. This is significantly less than the 280 calories found in a regular 2 ounce Snickers.
The calories in a fun size Snickers come mostly from sugar and fat. But the small portion makes it easy to fit into your daily calorie intake. Burning off the 80 calories requires just a few minutes of walking or other exercise.
While one fun size Snickers won’t negatively impact health or weight on its own, regularly overdoing it on candy and unhealthy foods may lead to problems over time. Enjoy the occasional small treat combined with nutritious meals and activity for the best results.
