“Treats you can hand out without feeling guilty.”
8 Healthy Treats You Should Hand Out Instead Of Halloween Candy
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/healthy-halloween-treats_us_57f5206fe4b015995f2c64fa
For many, Halloween kicks off the unhealthiest part of the year. With tons of candy corn and bucket loads of bite-sized chocolate candy bars, it’s hard to escape sugar during the month of October. And that doesn’t even include the festive treats people are baking up and sharing.
Some of this sugar is hard to avoid ― and some of it we don’t want to avoid ― but there’s one area that could use a serious makeover, and that’s the Halloween candy bowl. The U.S. Heart Association recommends that kids consume no more than 3 to 8 teaspoons of added sugar per day ― there are about 4 grams to a teaspoon, converting to 12 to 32 grams of added sugar per day. Considering that a serving of Candy Corn (roughly 19 pieces) contains 28 grams of sugar ― that’s 7 teaspoons! ― it’s time we make a change.
For the record, five Miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups contains 23 grams of sugar. And one Hershey’s Miniature Chocolate Bar contains 5 grams of sugar ― that’s more than a teaspoon for each.
If you’re expecting trick-or-treaters this year, consider forgoing the traditional sweets for something a little healthier that kids will actually be excited to eat (and parents will be thankful for). Some of these are super healthy (fall apples and dried cranberries) and some of them a little less healthy (mini granola bars with chocolate chips) but all of them are better for the kids than what’s normally found in a Halloween candy bowl.
(One thing to note: opting for healthy will usually cost more than candy. That’s just the way it is.)
Here are 8 ideas for healthy treats you can hand out this Halloween.
1. Yogurt-Covered Raisins
2. Mini Granola Bars
3. Mini Pretzels
4. Unpopped Popcorn
5. Fruit Leathers
6. Fruit Chews
7. Craisins
8. Apples
If you live in a part of the country where grows apples, do it. They’re just as sweet as candy, so they’re a great thing to hand out. If you don’t have local good apples near you, maybe don’t go this route ... Granny Smith just won’t do on Halloween.