Crafting a Well-Rounded Halloween “Candy” Basket
Offering a variety of options in your candy basket sets a good example while promoting healthy eating and good decision making.
Let’s face it, no house wants to be the “healthy treats” house on the block during Halloween. Most likely, the trick-or-treaters will move in the opposite direction once the word gets out. It’s also (probably) not a good idea to give out quarters and advise trick-or-treaters to spend them wisely — (nickels are obviously even worse). Maybe a more logical approach would be to add some healthier options to your treat basket and let the trick-or-treaters decide what they want for themselves?
Here me out. For instance, you could put some fruit or some healthy snack bars alongside the traditional candy options. I’ve actually tried this before and the trick-or-treaters almost always choose the healthier option. At the very least, some of the more savvy trick-or-treaters will choose one healthy option and a piece of candy for good measure. Not only does this promote healthy eating, but it promotes good decision making as well. That said, think about shaking up your “candy” basket this year, and consider some of the following healthy alternatives:
Healthy snack bars
These days, there are too many options in the nutrition bar aisle of your local grocer. What’s even more of a dilemma is the fact that most bars won’t vibe with the palette of your average trick-or-treater. However, not all healthy options are repulsive. The following healthy snack bars are of the tastier variety and might grab the attention of a trick-or-treater before they grab the candy.
- Kind brand
- Bobo’s Oat Bars
- Luna Bar
- Larabar
How about an old-fashioned piece of fruit?
The humble piece of fruit, let’s say an apple, a banana, or an orange — very well may go down as the most ridiculed Halloween treats in history. (Well, maybe not if you toss in popcorn balls and raisins.) However, fruit does add some color and variety to your treat basket. Out of pity, the trick-or-treater may even choose the fruit over candy. If the trick-or-treater can’t bear a guilty conscious, she/he might actually eat the piece of fruit.
All is fair when it comes to health and nutrition.
Vitamin C Nutrition & Supplementation >>>
Dark Chocolate
If you opt for the higher end brands, eating dark chocolate (within reason) is actually good for your health. However, a recent study suggests that eating dark chocolate doesn’t improve eyesight like many of us wanted to believe in the past.
On a positive note, small amounts of dark chocolate can improve the following:
- Cognitive function
- Heart health
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol levels
Organic alternatives
If you search hard enough (and have some extra cash laying around), there’s an organic option for almost every treat out there. Love candy? Smart, Sweets have much less sugar than other brands. How about potato chips? Try Kettle Brand. Gummy treats? Brandless offers a healthier option to Sour Patch Kids. If rice crispy treats are your thing, Made Good might make good for you. These options may be a bit pricier than popular alternatives, but an investment in better health is always worth it.
