It's that time of year again, when ghosts and goblins are creeping around your streets; the night owl spies, the wolf howls, and candy craved children run from house to house to knock on your door screaming "Trick or Treat"! With the number of obese children these days though, we all know that it would be best to give them a trick instead of a treat. However, there are new ways to save your children's health on Halloween and still allow them to have their fun. Fitness.com gives some healthy alternatives for treats that children will still enjoy on Halloween.
1. Go Organic!
The easiest way to keep your treats healthy on Halloween is to look for organic sweets. If you can't find any of the ones listed below, ask someone in your local grocery store, or try a health foods store or market. Organic sweets are generally lower in sugar, and they don't have all the artificial colors and ingredients that are pumped into regular candies.
Suggestions for Organic Treats:
Organic Gummy Bears: free of gelatin, gluten, high-fructose corn syrup, or artificial additives. They are available in a variety of flavors including: classic, jelly, fruity, and super sour. They cost about $2.99 a box, and are available on-line at: www.EdwardAndSons.com.
Pure Fun Organic Candy: hard candies and lollipops, these candies are free of artificial flavors, pesticides, and gluten. They are available in 3 flavors: Tangy Tangerine, Giddy Green Apple, and Loony Lemon. You can purchase these at Whole Foods, or online for $4.99 a box, at: www.PureFun.ca.
2. Stick to Dark Chocolate!
If you feel you have to hand out some sort of chocolate treat, which tends to be children's favorite, stick to dark chocolate treats. Check the ingredients to make sure it doesn't contain any milk and the less ingredients the better. Dark chocolate has natural coco, less sugar, and less artificial ingredients.
Suggestions for Dark Chocolate Treats:
Sunspire Dark Chocolate Earth Balls: Available at Whole Foods or natural foods stores, these small chocolate treats are sweetened with whole grain malted barley and corn, that cuts the sugar content by 33%. They come in bulk, and run for about $12.99 a pound.
Wolfgang's Sweet Dark Chocolate Covered Blueberries and Raspberries: Definitely our favorite pick for Halloween at fitness.com. These treats have natural berries that are high in antioxidants, and are covered with dark chocolate. They are available at Whole Foods and other natural foods stores and cost $5.99 a box.
3. Healthy Animal Cookies!
What kid doesn't love animal cookies? And, what a great alternative to candies and chocolate bars on Halloween. Look for animal crackers that have fewer ingredients, or organic contents. They usually contain very little trans fat, so check before buying.
Suggestions for Animal Crackers:
Barbara's Snackimals Animal Cookies: Better than your traditional animal crackers, these cookies have little flavor and are extremely low in trans fats. They come in a variety of flavors including: chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, oatmeal, and vanilla. They run for $.89 a bag, and are available at most natural foods stores, or online at: www.WorldPantry.com.
4. Go nuts!
Mixed mini packs of nuts are always a good healthy alternative for Halloween treats. They are high in protein, and give your children the energy they need to keep them steady during school days.
5. A reason for Raisins!
As many times as kids cringe when they see those little red packages of raisins on Halloween night, parents cheer when they see those same red packages come tumbling out of their children's Halloween sacks. Now, if every parent could collaborate on this healthy alternative, every kids Halloween sack would have hundreds of red raisin boxes falling out of them. Unfortunately though, some parents can't help but give out those unhealthy treats. But, what you can do, instead of seeing your child throwing out the red raisin boxes the instant they see them, keep them aside and add them to your children's lunch boxes. This is helping you out, and keeping them healthy at the same time.
Happy Halloween from fitness.com!
Healthy Halloween Treats!
