Healthy candy for Halloween trick or treating

In case you’re wondering if you have the right blog, fear not … no, I don’t think healthy candy exists!

By “healthy” I only mean “better than the alternatives”, that is, made from real food ingredients and without artificial colors, preservatives and all the other junk that can be found in typical sweets.

I still prefer candy-free gifts or experiences whenever possible, even on Halloween. But thanks to the companies that make sweets with better ingredients, our family can partake in trick or treating in the neighborhood (without handing out algae snacks … although I happen to find these delicious too!).

Wait … Is Healthy Candy Good For You?

Given the negative health effects of sugar … no, definitely not!

I’ve weakened my stance on sugar a little. (But hey, I can’t help what science is saying.) There have been a few years where we’ve even skipped parties and done anything trick or treating.

We’ve experimented with different approaches to Halloween (the ultimate candy palooza) over the years. As our children got older, we decided that we could use Halloween or other special events as an opportunity to practice making good food choices.

Now that more and more companies are offering better candy (made with ingredients I actually know), I’ve been able to find some favorites that my kids love and can live with. Mixing this (sparingly) with lots of alternatives without candy makes for a fun, creative and healthy Halloween, which in my opinion is better than the original tradition!

Healthier candy (and non-candy) alternatives for trick or treating

I usually make my own candy or chocolate when we have them, but that won’t be enough for a trick or a treat. If you’re looking for healthier store-bought candies, here are the ones that passed the test for us.

Of course, you won’t find many of these at your local grocery store so I use mine Thriving market Membership to top up. The prices are low, it’s convenient, and I love the variety.

All of the following goodies are inexpensive (0.15 to 0.50 cents on average) and individually packaged for trick or treating. Bonus, the neighborhood kids will probably like them better than the junky stuff!

Start with a healthy meal

First the good, then the scrap? That goes for Halloween at home. These are our favorite Halloween meals and snacks that are high in protein, fat, and fiber to keep everyone satisfied and keep the sugar frenzy at bay.

Organic Spooky Fruit Snacks

These gummy bears get their color and taste from real food ingredients like pear juice and carrot juice. These are a far cry from most store-bought candy as they are organic and gluten-free.

Really Peely Fruit Tape

Do you remember your lunch break at school? Something about the shape makes this fruit leather just more fun. This version uses real fruit and skips the corn syrup.

Grain-free crackers

Give kids a break from all those sweet treats with these delicious grain-free crackers. You will never know that they are nutritious. These are also individually wrapped for easy trick-or-treat distribution.

Popcorn Snack Packs

We don’t make popcorn often, but when we do, we choose gluten-free and GMO-free. Children and adults alike will love the “buttery” goodness of coconut oil and a pinch of pink Himalayan salt.

Yum Earth Gummies

This is a different brand of candy I can stay behind for the occasional treat, and kids love the tart taste and fun, curvy shape. The colors also look a bit like candy corn but come from natural sources like black currants and turmeric.

Peanut butter cup (without peanut butter)

No Halloween trick or treating list could be complete without a peanut butter cup. Those dark almond butter cups are perfect as they are suitable for nut allergy sufferers and (in my opinion) represent an improvement on the classic treat.

Torie & Howard Chewie Fruities

Those chewy fruit candies look just like the popular Starburst candies, but use mostly organic and natural ingredients and no artificial flavors or colors. In addition, their creative flavors also seduce adults: Meyer lemon & raspberry, pomegranate & nectarine and blood orange & honey.

Best buy: natural lollipops

I know that shopping for natural or organic products can be a real relief to the budget, but this time there is no excuse. In the end I saved the best with these natural assorted lollipops… 40 organic pops with a real fruit flavor in a bag for less than 15 cents each!

Candy without candy for trick or treating

Again, I only offer this as an occasional alternative for special occasions where sweets are inevitable (like Halloween), not as a weekly / daily meal for children.

To prevent sweets from being the focus of the vacation, mix a lot of inedible goodies and prizes. They’re still cheap and kids love them! Here are 26 ideas on what to give away as gifts on Halloween besides sweets.

Other healthy Halloween snacks and treats (like kids!)

One strategy for limiting candy consumption is to provide children with plenty of nutritious food before they go out to eat trick or treating. Instead of our usual dinner, we’ll make some Halloween bites to share and make sure they’re high in protein and fiber (and low in sugar).

While there are a million healthy Halloween party food ideas out there, I’ve only tried those that seemed very simple and easy to prepare (because I’m not Martha Stewart), but I’m happy to report that most of them are very good Little time and effort have succeeded. In most cases, the children begged to be adopted and made by themselves. (I let you!)

Here are some of the most popular Halloween party snacks and treats that we tried:

I also keep some homemade goodies along with some non-candy prizes for trick or treating. The kids collect some of their less-than-ideal candy for fun Halloween jewelry, jewelry or toys. As a rule, you have no problem with it and you are even looking forward to it.

Have a happy Halloween!

The bottom line is that sharing in community with our friends and neighbors is our top priority. These options are as close as possible to healthy candy and have made it possible for our family to partake in the trick or treating. By providing some better alternatives to the usual Halloween candy festival, we hope our kids have positive attitudes about healthy eating and can focus on just having fun!

What are you handing out on Halloween? Did you find sweets with better ingredients? Please share!