Halloween is right around the corner, and those little ghosts and goblins will be on at your doorstep asking you for treats! With that said, Halloween kicks off the unhealthiest part of the year with the buckets full of candy bars! And you know the candy will not only be eaten by your kids, but will end up going in our mouths too. I'm SO guilty. I remember all the years of sneaking in the trick-or-treat bag for candy with no will-power whatsoever. There are plenty of healthy options for trick-or-treating. It's just hard to think of them when we are surrounded by candy aisles at the grocery stores. I decided to share a few ideas for health-conscious parents.

Photo by Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
Photo by Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
loading...

The first thing to remember when shopping for treats is to get something that will create excitement for the children. You’d be surprised that kids will get excited over something in their bag that looks different and stands out in the mix of all the candy. In today’s world, you will no longer see homemade cookies and popcorn balls because everything needs to be individually wrapped. Another thing to consider is that a lot of kids have food allergies so while they're getting gobs of candy, it might be nice when they see a non-food item like temporary tattoos, bubbles, or glow sticks.

Halloween
iStock
loading...

Here is a great list of ideas for healthier options instead of candy:

  • Pretzels
  • Juice boxes
  • Mini water bottles (perfect to hydrate while trick-or-treating)
  • Plain cookies (Graham Crackers, Teddy Grahams, Vanilla Wafers, etc.)
  • Baked Chips
  • Popcorn
  • Trail Mix
  • Granola or cereal bars
  • Mandarins or Satsumas (draw a jack-o-lantern face on them with a black sharpie)
  • Fruit cups
  • Slim Jims
  • Raisins

If you're wanting to give out non-food items, this is a great list:

  • Decorative pencils
  • Small rubber balls
  • Erasers
  • Rubber ghosts, goblins, witches
  • Waxed lips
  • Glow sticks
  • Stickers
  • Key chains
  • Marbles
  • Tic-tac-toe or other small games
  • Bubbles
  • Chalk
  • Coloring books
  • Crayons
Nuts, Legumes and Flax
iStock
loading...

Whatever the treats may be, whether candy or not, have a safe Halloween and make memories with your little pumpkins!

 

More From 99.9 KTDY