35 Safe Alternatives to Candy this Halloween

Halloween is a special time of year when the search and consumption of candy is at an all time high… followed by a crash and possibly a cavity. While an occasional candy bar can be part of an otherwise healthy diet, eating candy regularly can negatively affect your health. In efforts to make this year’s Halloween less of a toothache, we’ve thought of some safe alternatives to the candy craze that happens every year on Halloween.

Safety with Sweets

Trick-or-treaters and parents should be aware that there is always a possibility that someone could have tampered with the treats. Make a rule for your children to leave their candy and other treats alone until you get home to inspect the bounty. A responsible adult should never let children eat Halloween candy without first sorting through the items carefully. Checking Halloween candy includes looking for evidence of tampering and throwing away treats that appear suspicious. Immediately throw away treats that have been handmade by strangers. In turn when providing favors for knocking trick-or-treaters, remember to only use pre-packaged favors for your guests.

The Candy Craze

Too much candy can provide you with large amounts of unhealthy substances, such as sugars and fats. Also, if you are eating candy every single day, you may not eat enough of the foods necessary for good health. Enjoy candy and other junk foods only sparingly. Too much sugar of any type in your diet can lead to dental cavities, weight gain and overall poor nutrition, especially if the sugary foods are taking the place of foods containing nutrients and vitamins. Additionally, eating candy on a regular basis may cause you to eat too many calories overall, possibly leading to weight gain. Obesity is a serious disease, and being at an unhealthy weight can cause serious health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer.

Recommendations

While candy is delicious and sweet, there are alternatives to handing it out this year for Halloween. Children will be excited to receive just about any kind of treat on Halloween. Passing out treats other than candy is not an uncommon practice. Many children love the variety and the opportunity to swap prized loot. Here are a few alternatives to the classic candy culprit that’ll still keep kids in the Halloween spirit: