If you celebrate Halloween in your town, this is a great opportunity to teach your children, office workers, or neighbors about healthy versus unhealthy sweeteners.
Don’t be surprised that they really are interested – kids today are “getting it”, and more and more adults know that processed chemicals, fake sugars, and heavy, rancid oils give them headaches, IBS, vertigo, and weight gain.
People are getting tired of going around in a fog caused by food chemicals. It’s fashionable now for concerned parents and grandparents to teach trick or treaters what is good for them as opposed to what will make them feel sick, tired, grumpy, and headachy.
Kids “in the know” are learning to select the healthier treats as opposed to those that create a bad sweetener “hang-over.”
Healthy Edible Treats
Create your own packets of healthy treats for Halloween parties, school functions, or sleepovers:
- Roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- Cheese – such as string cheese (Babybel®/Laughing Cow® cheese)
- Granola bars – homemade, of course – cut them into bite-size squares and tie them with a ribbon in individual packets
- Raisins or other dried fruit tied in individual packets
- Cocoa/hot cider
- Home-popped popcorn – pop and wrap in paper or netting and tie with a string for single serving sizes
- Fruit cups or fruit leathers
- Fresh nuts in the shell
- Fruit-flavored water served with fresh fruit
Have you ever considered going to a pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins as your Halloween celebration? A fresh pumpkin with some apple cider, hot chocolate, or hot spiced tea makes for a great, special event.
Non-Edible Treats
If you don’t want to provide food items, try giving the children some of these fun options:
- Halloween pens/pencils
- Small packages of colored pencils or crayons; divide a larger packet into smaller numbers, and tie them together with a black or orange ribbon
- Halloween stickers
- Coins wrapped in orange netting tied with black ribbon
- Toothbrushes (well, kids may think BOO!, but moms will appreciate them)
- Hair clips or ribbons for little girls
- Trading cards for the boys; Spiderman Cards, Batman cards; baseball cards
Have a kid and pet costume contest at the local school instead of tripping door to door to Trick or Treat.
Less Is Best
You do not have to have a huge selection of treats or trinkets. Children function better when the choices are not too complex. Less is best.
Never underestimate this opportunity to teach a life lesson for a happy Halloween experience. By creating healthy treats and goodies, you’ll secure a better morning for everyone the next day!
Have a safe and healthy Halloween.
