When asked about receiving a healthy box of California raisins, a young boy I overheard in the grocery store grumbled, "I would give them to my mom." I agree, kid.

Candy, even on Halloween, is largely discouraged by most health professionals. Yet in reality, according to the National Confectioners Association (NCA), 81 percent of parents believe Halloween is a time to ignore "the rules" of healthy eating and allow children to have fun. After all, nearly $2 billion is spent on Halloween candy each year, according to the NCA. Therefore, it is a pretty good assumption that no one is listening to the health professionals.

Aside from all the saturated fats in milk chocolate, sticky caramel and gummy candies that promote tooth decay, there are some health benefits.

Take candy corn, for instance. These pieces contain honey, which is one of the most efficient carbohydrates. In fact, many of my runner friends pop these in their mouths while running for long periods of time.

Good news for candy-bar lovers: Milk chocolate contains lecithin. Lecithin's primary component is choline, which is believed to maintain healthy liver functioning. However, milk chocolate also contains saturated fats, which are linked to coronary heart disease.

Twizzlers are high in simple sugars that cause a spike in blood sugar, creating a "crash-and-burn" feeling quickly after ingesting, but they do not contain saturated fats and are virtually fat free.

A highly nutritious source of fiber called gum acacia can be found in M&M's -- this and the fact that M&M's come in so many fun colors are good reasons to let this candy melt in your mouth and not in your hand.

An interesting, though not necessarily healthy, note about Reese's Pieces: They contain carnauba wax, a substance that can help to keep your hardwood floor shining.

Before the above information makes you want to gorge on an entire bag of Milky Ways, remember that moderation is important. Besides the health benefits I pointed out, there are reasons that health professionals discourage eating candy. Saturated fats, high calories and refined sugars are all unhealthy and all associated with its consumption.

As I have mentioned before, there is no such thing as a bad food, only bad portions. So go ahead and eat one or two pieces of individually wrapped Halloween candy -- just don't eat the entire bag.