Halloween is just around the corner and stores are stocked with a wide assortment of candies and sweets for young trick-or-treaters. Many kids end up with large stashes of candy after days of Halloween parties, trick-or-treating, and other related events. Like myself, many parents confiscate the bags to prevent their kids from having candy feasts for days on end.

The goal is to always ration out the goods. But let’s be honest, we end up eating some ourselves and eventually throwing away the rest. Then you can’t look at yourself in the mirror because you have a blue tongue. Or is that just me? Lol.

Trick-or-treating is a Halloween tradition that has been around since the 1920s. Forbes estimates that Americans will spend $2.7 billion dollars on Halloween candy alone. Yes, you read that correctly. $2.7 BILLION. This data still holds true despite the national childhood obesity rate being 18.5% and childhood tooth decay being a well-known public health issue. Why is that? I guesstimate it’s because Americans love tradition. Holidays help families create fun lifetime memories. They bring families together and provide moments of relief from hectic workdays and classroom schedules. No amount of scientific mumbo-jumbo will change these practices.

Because where else would you find monstrous home runs, mascots racing and just some old-fashioned bloopers in one place?

Health-centric moms like myself sometimes cringe thinking about their kids binging on KitKats and Snickers bars for days. You worry about their teeth. You worry about them getting hooked on sweets. You worry about them forming bad eating habits. At the same time, you don’t want to be a Grinch and not let your kids participate in holiday fun. So how do you find a balance between your inner crunchy mom and fun mom?

Finding alternative healthy snacks for KB has been my solution to the existential crisis. Yes, I’m being very dramatic about this. One day of sweets might not make a huge difference in his overall health. At the same time, there are simply too many healthy alternatives to ignore.

Garden Veggie Straws
What I love about them: I love the crunch! They are a great substitute for potato chips. KB loves them and can’t tell the difference! They also don’t have artificial flavors or preservatives.
2. Apple crisps
What I love about them: Pre-sliced and a quick grab when you want something fresh. Peanut butter and apple are a tasty classic.
3. Torie & Howard assorted Chewie Fruities
What I love about them: no corn syrup, no artificial flavors & dyes, no GMOs, 5 grams of sugar.
4. Go Organic: Organic Ginger and Honey Hard Candies
What I love about them: These are two separate items (they have a honey and ginger flavor). Only 2.5 grams of sugar in each piece! Yes, you read that right☺ Only 3 natural ingredients that you can pronounce.

5. Annie’s Chewy Granola Bars

What I love about them: Only 8 grams of sugar, no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

6. Stacy’s Pita Chips

What I love about them: If you haven’t already figured it out, I love chips! Cheetos, Fritos, you name it! I try to keep healthy substitutes that fit my craving. Stacy’s gives you that satisfying crunch without all the artificial stuff. And it has less than 1 gram of sugar.

7. Wholesome Organic Lollipops

What I love about them: It’s a fair-trade product that gives back to communities in need. There are only 4 grams of sugar per lollipop and only 5 ingredients.

8. Gin-Gins: Chew Ginger Candy

What I love about them: Only 3 ingredients, 10% real ginger, 7 grams of added sugar.

9. 365 Everyday Value Organic Quack’n Bites

What I love about them: Natural cheese flavor and no sugars added.

10. Snyder’s of Hanover: Pretzel Sticks

What I love about them: “They’re dippable, they’re crunchy, They’re flavorful!” in a nutshell!

These are just 10 low-sugar and low-calorie tasty treats for your little trick-o-treaters to enjoy. None have high fructose corn syrup. Of course, we have to be mindful of nut allergies and ensure our treats don’t have peanut ingredients. They may cost you slightly more than your typical Halloween candies because good ingredients cost more. I personally believe it’s worth the purchase.

I hope to teach KB how to swap out not-so-healthy foods for better options. He will learn to enjoy the sweeter things in life without sacrificing the most important ones. the snacks listed are a staple in our pantry (Veggie Chips, pretzel sticks, qual’n bites, and apple slices). Others are sweat treats I found at local grocery stores like Whole Foods, Save-A-Lot, and King’s.

I generally don’t feed KB candy and almost feel guilty giving those treats to other children. This year my trick-or-treaters will be getting healthy snacks and low sugar candies! I’m not too sure how receptive little ones will be about Veggie Straws in comparison to M&Ms. I just hope parents will appreciate the gesture. I also hope this list helps your family consider tweaking Halloween candy and treat choices.

What do you think of the list?

Do you have staple snacks that I can add? Help grow this list!

Would you consider opting for these vs. traditional candies?

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html

It's Not a Trick! 10 Low-Sugar and Low-Calorie Treats