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During the month of October, almost all of us are bombarded with images or bowls of candy. It’s hard to escape the influx of sugar from Halloween through the end of the holidays, and we (often, literally) have to go out of our way to avoid it or to find healthier alternatives. If you have kids, you know the struggle it can be to offer “different”, “weird”, or “crunchy” candy to a classroom full of sugar addicts. When we are made aware of allergy requests, we honor those boundaries and work to find alternatives. As so, we should work to also honor the sugar boundary. There are plenty of options for both healthy AND delicious treats not loaded with sugar, as long as you know where to look.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed (and a bit appalled) at the amount of sugar circulating through your home, schools, offices, and grocery store this month, here are some tips for healthier Halloween candy for yourself or to offer others:

  1. Look for treats sweetened with natural sugars, such as coconut sugar, maple sugar, honey, rice syrup, or agave. If treats are sweetened with cane sugar, opt for those lowest in added sugars (some options given below).
  2. You can always make your own treats substituting processed sugar with natural sweeteners! Almost all recipes can be adapted to lessen the amount of sugar or substitute a healthier alternative sweetener like fruit juice or coconut sugar.
  3. If you know that candy will be lingering in your house after Halloween, buy candy you don’t enjoy, thus limiting the amount you’ll want to snack on the following weeks (or give it away!).

Healthier Halloween Candy Alternatives

Remember, a little goes a long way with candy, sugar, and treats. Be mindful of your portions, and even though something is “mini”, it’s still enough. Pick out one or two small treats, and put the rest away. It’s very easy to mindlessly eat out of the candy bag when there are endless amounts of candy around. Eat slowly, and enjoy the treats!

Read More // The Nutritionist Table: Thoughts on Sugars and Sweeteners

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