Trick-or-Treating - Healthy Halloween Treats & Alternatives

Do your little ones love Halloween? I know K sure does! Are you dismayed by the sheer amount of sugar that often ends up in their little tummies after the trick-or-treat run, though? I definitely am!

I’m not a stickler by any means and he’s enjoyed his fair share of treats, but after his first real Halloween run last year going door-to-door, I was surprised by how much sugary candy and chocolate he got. We let him indulge a bit at first and then allowed 2 pieces each day after that for the next week or so (until he forgot about it). But I know there are so many great alternatives to all of the very sugary treats. I told Adam I was planning on doing some fun alternatives this year and I think he thought I meant I was planning on handing out toothbrushes – he was a bit skeptical at first. As much as parents might be thrilled, I know toothbrushes wouldn’t please the little ones! And I’m all for a fun treat or surprise; I just want to ensure the treats are healthier and also switch it up a bit by offering non-candy item. Here are tons of great ideas for healthy Halloween treats and alternatives that little ones will still love and you’ll feel good about handing out.

Store-bought Treats and Alternatives

Glow Bracelets – What child wouldn’t love to receive one of these fun bracelets?
Halloween stampers – These can bring hours of fun.
Organic candy like Surf’s Sweets gummy bears or Yum Earth’s organic lollipops – Surf’s Sweets are some of my favourite natural candy. Although on the pricier side, if you don’t have a ton of treats to hand out, they’re a great option.
Juice boxes – I bet most kids would be excited to get a drink for the road, especially the little ones. You can pick up some good drink boxes at most grocery or bulk food stores. Our favourite kind are Kiju organic juice boxes.
Playdough – You can easily make up some big batches and put it in ziplock bags. Use food colouring (like orange or black) to create Halloween colours. Or, you can pick up small store-bought containers like these ones.
Halloween stickers – Stickers are always a win!
Mini bubbles – These would provide tons of fun for the kids.
Organic fruit strips – I LOVE fruit strips and I think it’s a great delicious but healthy sweet.
Mini colouring books – This is such a fun idea. Kids can colour while they munch on their goodies.
Amy’s organic snacks including a great mix of cheddar bunnies and bunny graham crackers. Amy’s has some awesome snack items and we love them all.
Goldfish crackers – on the more reasonably-priced side are Goldfish crackers, which are a good alternative to sugary candy and chocolate bars.
Raisins – We’ve always handed out raisins in the past and I was surprised at first by how many kids chose those amongst some other items we had. They are a great pick.
Applesauce – I bet you applesauce would go pretty quickly. It’s a favourite in our house.
Barbara’s Snackimals – these are a favourite in our house.

Homemade Treats

I don’t know if you’re down with making treats or if the parents in your area would be okay with their child receiving one, but back in the day, I remember getting some amazing homemade treats from neighbours, especially the elderly ones. My grandpa would make the BEST caramel popcorn balls and they went like hot-cakes. All the kids in their neighbourhood knew to come to my grandparents’ house first. If you’re up for it or even to hand out at a Halloween party, here are some delicious healthy homemade Halloween treats:

Chocolate lollies from Plant Powered Kitchen
Sugar-free caramel apples from Plant Powered Kitchen
Granola Bars or Snack Balls. I have a great energy bar recipe you can turn into small bites or balls. Happiness is Homemade has a big list of granola bars and energy bars, and Picklebums has an awesome round-upof 15 yummy looking snack balls.
Banana Ghost Pops from Super Healthy Kids or Halloween Ghost Pops from Study at Home Mama