Healthier Halloween

Healthy Halloween sounds like an oxymoron. The two words just don’t go together.

Kids go out trick or treating to get candy and candy isn’t healthy. We all know it but it’s one of our tradition and most of us don’t want to be the house that gives out “apples or pennies”.

Fortunately, there are many parents out there who have been considering ways to keep Halloween fun for their kids while also providing healthier alternatives.

A quick web search for Non-Candy Halloween Treats turned up several results, including: 83 Best Candy Alternatives For Halloween.

I was pleasantly surprised by the huge range of very inexpensive, fun-looking options for kids.

You don’t have to break the bank to provide your trick or treaters with a healthier AND fun option this year (thanks to Amazon - since I’m sending this out so last minute!)

If you don’t have time or energy to figure out non-candy treats this year, maybe it’s something that can happen for next year.

A Brilliant Solution

One of my clients helped their Type 1 diabetic child enjoy Trick or Treating for candy without harming her health.

After their daughter was done collecting all of her candy for the night, she left it out on the table for the “Switch Witch” before going to bed. While she was sleeping, the “Switch Witch” came and took the candy away and left her a present instead.

Most of us don’t have kids who are trick or treating anymore, but we do have grandchildren. Maybe this is a strategy you can share with your adult children, and of course, they can decide to do whatever they want with that information.

Be the Change You Want to See

I love candy but I know how addictive processed sugar is, when we’re lucky enough to get it in our treats (rather than the cheaper even less healthy version, high-fructose corn syrup).

Historically, I wouldn’t want to get candy for Trick or Treaters because there was always so much left over. I HAD TO buy a lot because we couldn’t run out, and of course I would eat it all once Halloween was over.

I never stopped to think about other options for kids until we had a surplus of glow sticks one year and they become the “candy”.

There are so many more options for kids now than when we were growing up, but many of us never consider them because it doesn’t occur to us, and we have habits established.

This Halloween (or next, if this is too late), consider the ways you can help this generation of kids to be a tiny bit healthier.

Be the fun house that gives out really cool non-candy treats that kids look forward to getting even more than the generic candy that every other house is giving out!