As a parent, you may be concerned about the amount of candy that your child eats at Halloween. Candy may be tasty, but it provides little nutritional benefit, it’s bad for the teeth and may cause digestive problems if too much is eaten. So if you’re looking for some alternatives to candy this Halloween, this article provides a few ideas.
1. One option is to give the kids packages of nuts or trail mixes – you can get small packs of these which are about the same size of a pack of sweets. Not only do they provide a satisfying sweet treat, but they’re much healthier than candy too.
2. The second option is microwaveable popcorn packages. While these aren’t completely healthy, they are a better option than gently sweets, so long as you skip the flavours which have lots of sugar or additives.
3. You could also look into chocolate and sweets that are sweetened with xylitol. This is a completely natural and healthy sweetener that’s derived from birch trees, corn and some other plant sources. It tastes just as good as sugar, but is much healthier, because it doesn’t cause blood sugar issues, and it is even good for the teeth! (Yes, a ‘sugar’ that helps prevent tooth decay!) Xylitol also contains 40% fewer calories than sugar, which is great if you or your kids are prone to weight issues.
4. Cheese and crackers provid a savory alternative to candy, and are often a big hit with kids. Nabisco Handi-Snack is one option which provides a variety of flavors, although if you want a completely healthy choice, try getting some rice cakes from the health food store.
5. If you’re looking for alternatives to candy for trick-or-treaters, another option is to get some gift certificates for restaurants such as McDonald’s or Wendys. While these aren’t exactly known for their healthy choices, they do have some good options available, and if you purchase using your Arch card and follow some simple guidelines at the McDonald’s website, you can earn college rewards at the same time.
6. Non-edible gifts: Remember too that Halloween gifts don’t have to be all about food. Try taking a trip to the dollar store or any other store that sells inexpensive items, and you can pick up some things such as crayons, colouring books, novels and audio books, all of which provide excellent alternatives to sugary foods. Not only will your kids’ health benefit from presents like these, but their education and creativity will too. If you remember, you could pick up things like this throughout the year, to help spread the cost.
7. Another more unusual gift idea which actively helps to counteract some of the damage caused by sugary Halloween food, is toothbrushes and toothpaste. Your local dentist may even be willing to give you these at a reduced rate to give out this Halloween. You could try throwing in some xylitol-sweetened gum too, as this is also good for the teeth, as well as being tasty.
8. Another good option is small games like jump rope and jacks, or perhaps a yo-yo or some bouncy ping-pong balls, or playing cards. These aren’t your typical Halloween gift, but they will almost certainly be appreciated, as they can provide fun throughout the year. Games like these are also very inexpensive, and can be bought at the dollar store, or online in bulk from places like eBay.
So as you can see, there are lots of ways to keep kids happy Halloween other than giving them sugar-laden foods. Think creatively, and you’ll help to make this a Halloween to remember, while looking after their health as well.
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