Halloween Candy

What type of candy do you give away on Halloween?  Are you the house that gives the king-size bars or the house with the apples?  As much as I'd like to give out protein shakes, I'd prefer not to make enemies in the 'hood.  

This year I'm finding balance in the celebration of this sugar-filled holiday and opting for a healthier choice.  I purchased a few bags of Yum Earth treats this year.  I taste tested them on my 3 year old and he's given the green light.  This brand caught my eye because I would never eat a candy bar so I didn't want to give them to others.  I was hunting for individually wrapped dark chocolate and came around Yum Earth.  Their ingredients are simple, like organic cane sugar and coloring from tumeric, carrots and black currants.  Just about all of their products are free from the top allergens (tree nuts, peanuts, gluten, soy, milk).  It's not perfect...but a heck of a lot better than the typical junk you're throwing in that pillow case.

Tips to make Halloween Healthier

1.  Limit the number of houses you visit.  If you take your time strolling along, you won't gather as much.  

2.  Don't graze on pieces of candy while you're walking with the kids (if you're in charge of passing out the candy- keep the bowl at the door, and commit to not eating it, after all, it is for the kids!)

3.  Throw the candy out after.  Yeah, I could practically hear the eyes rolling in the back of your head.  But heres the thing: you don't need that much processed junk- and your kids DEFINITELY do not need it. Indulge for the night, and then get rid of it!

4.  If you gave me the middle finger after reading #2, try removing the candy from your counter and get it out of hands reach:  

-I have a candy bucket that I keep at the very most top shelf of the pantry.  It's not the first thing I see when walking in to the pantry, so I don't think about it as much.  My son doesn't either (and hasn't tried to climb up there.  Yet...)   

-Toss the candy into a bag and place it at the bottom of the freezer.  You'll have to eat the candy slower (because it's hard as a rock), you'll really be able to determine how bad you want it.  But you also might just forget it's buried underneath all those frozen peas :) 

If you're not a sweets gal, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on the festivities.  If you're anything like me, you'll be pulling a wagon with one hand, so, use that second hand for a to-go cocktail!  This individual serving of Black Box wine will help you tolerate the minions’ sugar high.

Update: Other places to find high quality halloween candy

- Whole Foods

- Thrive Market

- Costco - has started to carry lots of organic and high quality options

xx

Kendra