My husband is Halloween obsessed and usually spends months planning his costume and growing out his beard, in case he needs it… lol. There has not been a year that he hasn’t dressed up since I have known him. Naturally, we have a lot of fun memories of Halloween and we want to celebrate it with Indyanna as she grows up. Here we are a couple of years ago dressed up as Kim Kardashian and George Michael. Haha!
At the same time, as a real-foodie, I cringe when I see the loads of Halloween candy everywhere this time of year. I know many people are thinking, “lighten up, it’s just once a year”. But, I just can’t get excited about feeding my neighborhood kids, GMOs, artificial food coloring and other chemicals, even if it is just one day a year. We love Halloween, and I want to look forward to passing out treats and seeing all of the adorable kids in their costumes.
I have been racking my brain, scouring health food stores and asking around for suggestions for better alternatives. I wanted to share the list that I have compiled with you, in case you needed some ideas too!
There are some inexpensive ideas here, but many real food options cost a bit more than conventional candy. One idea is to use the same amount of money as you would on conventional candy and put it towards real food treats. This will mean less real food treats. When you run out, then you can turn off the lights and be done passing out treats for the night. Personally, I would rather pass out less treats, participate in the Halloween fun and feel good about what I am feeding my neighborhood kids.
Healthy Halloween Trick or Treat Ideas
Heavenly Organics Honey Pattie
These come in a variety of flavors and are made of simple, real, ingredients. They use raw, organic, honey, unsweetened chocolate and flavored with natural oils and extracts. I found the Chocolate Mint flavor on Amazon and several more flavors on their website.
Stretch Island Fruit Co. Fruit Strips
I like that all of the ingredients are fruit! You can buy a 30 pack from Amazon for around $15. I have had a hard time finding an organic brand that has no additional ingredients, except for fruit. If you know of one, let us know in the comments.
Mini Larabars
I was torn about including these on the list. I have personally stopped buying them because their parent company is General Mills, which contributed a lot of money to defeating prop 37 (labeling genetically modified foods in California). From a health perspective, larabars themselves are GMO-free and are part of the Non-GMO project. I like that they use all whole food ingredients – mostly nuts, fruit, spices. You can buy a box of 12 mini bars on Amazon or at your local health food store.
Mandarins
I got this idea from my friend, Dana. She did it last year. I am not sure if it will be popular with the kids, but I love it! Who doesn’t like a sweet and tangy little mandarin? This is also a really inexpensive alternative. I saw a 2lb. bag at Trader Joe’s for $2.99!
Honey Sticks
I think most kids would be happy with this natural sweet treat. These are really reasonably priced. You can get a 100 count of 100% wildflower honey sticks for around $25 on Amazon.
Maple Hard Candy
These little hard candies are made with pure maple syrup and are individually wrapped. You can get 70 pieces for around $15 (plus shipping) on Amazon.
Newman’s Own Organic Raisins
When buying dried fruit, read the labels carefully, as they often have some added oils. I liked the Newman’s Own brand because the only ingredients are organic raisins.
Justin’s Almond Butter
This is a pricier treat, but would work great, if you live in an area where you only get a handful of trick or treaters. I know that nut allergies are prevalent, but I think if a child has a nut allergy, the parents will be double checking their stash. Or so, I hope! 🙂 . You can get 30 of these for around $32 on Amazon.
Trader Joe’s Raw Almonds
I prefer these over the other individually packaged trail mixes at TJ’s because the only ingredients are almonds (no oils or preservatives). 13 come in a pack for $6.49.
Coconut water or other natural drinks
Those kids are going to be thirsty after chowing down on all that candy! Again, this is a more reasonable treat, if you just get a handful of trick or treaters. A pack of 12 cost around $20 on Amazon.
Good Health Avocado Oil Potato Chips
You can change it up by offering a savory treat. I like this brand because the only ingredients are potatoes, avocado oil and sea salt. Avocado oil has a high smoke point, so it is safe to cook with. You can get a 24 pack for around $17 on Amazon.
YumEarth Organic Pops
I wouldn’t say that these are exactly healthy. They do use cane juice and brown rice syrup, but they are far healthier than your average candy. They have no artificial flavor or dyes. They are an affordable alternative. You can get 40 lollipops for around $5 on Amazon.
SeaSnax
I like this brand because they use olive oil. Many of the other brands use canola oil or soybean oil. These would be best, if you only expect a handful of trick or treaters. You can get a pack of 6 for $9 on Amazon.
What will you be passing out for Halloween?
Lara Bar Minis! That’s genius! 😉
I’m not sure how big Halloween gets in this part of the world. It’s not a huge deal in Australia either, it’s starting to become more so now but back when I was a kid it hardly ever happened. I’ve never dressed up for halloween! But I love the Kim Kardashian and George Michael looks hahaha! I think homemade gummies might be a good idea too?
Hi Naz! You haven’t? It’s so fun! If you are ever back in the US, this time of year, we will have to get you dressed up! I love the idea of homemade gummies and other homemade treats, but Americans are pretty strict about the food being packaged for safety reasons. Unfortunately, many of us don’t know or trust our neighbors in this part of the world.
Naz, Halloween isn’t huge in the UK, but it is celebrated in some ways, esp in cities… expect to get some kids calling round, but don’t expect the huge amounts you would have been used to in the US. How many really depends on the weather and how many kids live near you. Also, because halloween is on a week night, that may reduce how many kids you get this year.
When we lived in the UK, we noticed that school-night halloweens were always quieter than if it was on a friday or a saturday.
I wouldn’t go over the top on things to give out, but make sure you have some – maybe stuff that you can return for a refund the next day if you don’t get any kids at all…
I would adore you forever (and probably eat my weight in those maple hard candies) if I got those for Halloween. And even if the kids don’t appreciate it, I’m sure that they’re parents do!
We are giving out non food treats. Bubble, glow bracelets or mini tubs of play dough!
Thank you so much! Great ideas!!
Great options! Here’s an organic version of dried fruit (&veggie) strips that we really like: http://nakededgesnacks.com/
(but definitely more expensive)
Thank you for these! I love the ingredients list. I am definitely going to get some for me! I love dried fruit in every form! 🙂
FYI- our target carries those Lara bar minis. Yours might too!
That’s great to know! I’ll check there!
LOL that Kardashian costume is awesome!!
Haha! Thanks! It was a fun one!
The mandarins sound great. Because it\’s one day a year, but if we think the neighborhood kids should eat in a day all the candies they get for Halloween, I don\’t think they would be around for the next.
I am planning on buying a whole load of glow-sticks from the dollar store and handing those out to the local kids. I figure that kids will get enough candy and sweet stuff, so something fun and glow-in-the-dark will make a good change.
I will be taking my kids trick or treating, and I will allow them to eat a small amount of the candy they collect (probably a few chocolate items), the rest I will take down to our dentist as he does a “buy-back” scheme and then they can buy something with the cash.
Thank you for this! I’ve been searching and searching for a list of healthy treats for Halloween. We started Paleo last December so this will be our first Paleo Halloween and the thought of giving out something that I thing is really unhealthy made me sad! I also considered apple chips (dried apple rings) since they’re still a fall kind of treat and are reasonably healthy.
I am so glad you found the list useful! Apple chips are a great idea!