Halloween and candy go together like two peas in a pod. This time of year it’s almost inevitable that we’ll be offered candies, cookies and sugar-filled treats.
Growing up with severe allergies, I was that kid who always felt left out at Halloween. I reacted to everything! I was allergic to gluten, dairy, and eggs, and if my food was cooked in plastic, I’d break out in hives. I couldn’t even touch a tomato without my finger swelling up!
I was a toddler when I realized how sensitive I was to sugar. One day my mom received a phone call from one of my friend’s mom, telling her that I had bit her child. My mom, being the forward thinking mom that she was, asked me what I had to eat before the incident.
Can you guess my answer?
Candy!
With the rise in childhood diabetes and the rise of diagnoses of behavioral disorders like ADD and ADHD, I’m sure there are many kids out there who are also highly sensitive to the gnarly effects of sugar.
Growing up, whenever Halloween rolled around, my mom knew that there had to be an alternative way for me to enjoy trick-or-treating without compromising my health. Her solution was to bake oat and honey granola bars in bite-sized (no pun intended) treats, doling them out to every house in the neighborhood. Therefore, every time I shouted, “TRICK OR TREAT!” I was handed my very own homemade oat bar.
While channeling my mom for Halloween might not be realistic these days, we love the idea of not handing out chemical-laden sugar bombs to the kids this year. So today I’m sharing some of our favorite alternatives to coma-inducing candy.
I also wanted go give a big shout out to the Teal Pumpkin movement, which ensure that kids with allergies know where they can trick or treat safely by the big Teal Pumpkin in front of each house.
Let me know what you think in the comment section below! What are some creative and fun ways you’re celebrating Halloween that don’t involve pillowcases full of candy?
With trick or treat sugar-free love,
5 Treats for a Conscious Halloween
1. Honey sticks: Honey sticks are one of my all-time favorites and a good choice if you want to hand out a sweet treat. You can also shop for organic candies that are sweetened with natural sugars like honey, maple syrup or coconut sugar.
2. Glow in the dark vampire teeth: Jules’ two boys love these teeth as much (if not more) as a piece of candy.
3. Play-Doh’s Treat-Without-the-Sweet Halloween bag: Who doesn’t love Play-Doh? These little 1 oz cans are sure to be a crowd pleaser!
4. Tooth brush: Sounds boring, right? Wrap them in colorful cellophane bag and they’ll stand out in the crowd. Plus you’ll be revered in the neighborhood by all the other moms.
5. Mini Lara Bars: These bite-sized dried fruit and nut bars are the best! Share these with your trick-or-treaters and they’ll never miss the “real” thing.
