For most children, Halloween is all about the candy. It's the one time of year when all the talk about healthy eating goes out the window, and eating sugary treats by the pound begins. Although this is an exciting prospect for children, for parents, all they can think about is tooth decay and empty calories. Thankfully, there are alternatives to giving the children in your neighborhood a bucket of candy when they come trick or treating.
What Not To Give
Before deciding on an alternative to candy this Halloween, think about items that are not good ideas to give to children. Most Halloween safety web sites, as well as almost every local news channel, warn of the dangers of homemade treats. Stories of poisoned Rice Krispie Treats and apples with needles stuck in them are mostly exaggerated, but for safety's sake, parents are often warned not to let their children accept or eat these kinds of treats. Anything that doesn't come in a package is treated as suspect and disposed of by these safety-conscious parents.
Edible Alternatives
Instead of tooth rotting, fat building candy and chocolate, consider giving children sugar-free gum. This will satisfy the sweet tooth cravings all kids develop as Halloween approaches without the harmful side effects. You can also consider other, healthier snacks. Many people have offered Goldfish crackers as an alternative for toddlers and babies at Halloween, only to be surprised by how older kids reach for them too. Granola and cereal bars are also popular, healthier alternatives to sugary sweets.
Other Alternatives
Edible items are the traditional treat for Halloween, but there's no reason that you can't give out other items as well. Halloween is all about making the little ones happy, so anything that is interesting to them will be appreciated. Try giving out stickers with fun Halloween-themed pictures. Small, inexpensive party favors are a fun alternative as well. Temporary tattoos of bats, black cats, and witches would also be a big hit in the neighborhood. In order to make everyone happy, be sure to have some prizes that are appropriate for babies and toddlers as well - the point is to have healthy alternatives to candy, and you don't want to give a small child something that isn't safe for them instead.
Alternatives for Parents
If you are the parent of a child going trick-or-treating, you are probably concerned about what they are bringing home after their adventure in your community. Although you can decide what you give out for Halloween, you can't control what your neighbors give your kids. Refusing to let them have their hard-earned candy is going to be a struggle, so offer to buy it off of them by helping them get a video game or other toy that they've had their eye on in exchange for their candy. Cold, hard cash will probably get their attention as well.
By taking these Halloween candy alternatives into consideration, you can relieve some of the stress about your child's health this holiday, leaving you with more time to perfect your costume, rather than worrying about their next visit to the dentist.
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