Stock your treat bowl with these easy, fun options to cut down on fun-sized candy bars.
The pumpkin’s carved. The kids’ costumes are ready. Are you? Halloween can mean sugar-hyped children. And then there’s the unwelcome abundance of leftover candy for the following week.
It’s probably no surprise your kiddos love Halloween. What’s a parent to do — and not be the lame house on the street? Here’s how you can opt for fun and healthy alternatives at home or at parties. The key is balancing out the sweet treats. The non-food items also have the added benefit of being suitable for children with food allergies.
Healthier food alternatives
- Mini boxes of raisins
- Single-serve packages of popcorn
- Granola bars
- Single-serve packs of trail mix
- Mini packages of nuts
- Single-serve boxes of cereal
- Fruit snacks, leathers, ropes or squeezable pouches
- Hot cocoa or apple cider packets
- Juice boxes
Toy options
- Mini crayon or marker sets
- Yo-yos
- Silly Putty
- Puzzles
- Bouncy balls
- Glow sticks
- Slinkys
- Temporary tattoos or stickers
- Stickers
- Bubbles
Halloween-themed toys
- Eyeballs
- Slime
- Vampire teeth
- Bat and spider rings
- Decorated pencils, stickers
If concerns about your child’s eating go beyond general health, learn more about childhood obesity guidelines from Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
