Healthy Halloween treats ideas & alternatives

*Estimated read time is 5 minutes (This post contains affiliate links that I can make a commission from.)

Are you looking for some ideas for healthy Halloween treat ideas and alternatives?

It can be hard to find healthy candy alternatives, especially for trick or treaters or a Halloween party since everything has to be in a package, but there are a lot of great items out there that come packaged, you just have to think outside the box.

Sweet treats are notoriously related to all the Halloween fun. 

Kids are just so excited about all the candy everywhere during the Halloween season.

Parents, I also know this makes it hard for you to not overeat all the Halloween candy and excess sugar. 

So, it can be great to have some healthy treats and Halloween snacks planned.

As a parent, we want to lead by example when it comes to health and I know it can be especially hard at holidays when kids are bombarded with so many parties, treats, and commercials. 

But I believe you can go against the grain since you are reading this! 

When you offer your kids other things than the typical candy and actually talk to them a little bit about it, they can start to develop some healthy habits for themself and get a better understanding of what food really is.

Quick tip to not overdo sugar

And just a little side note here, if you are hoping to not fill up on candy and sugar, it is important to make sure you have some healthy meals planned, so everyone is filling up on healthy food and they don’t have a lot of room to overdo the sugar.

So think of meals that are focused on non-starchy veggies and protein.  Do you want to plan out a month of meals in 30 minutes? Take my free workshop with all the printables here. Just click here!

Click here for this free meal planning workshop!

Things to avoid in Halloween treats

*When the sugar overload and sugar crash happens and spiderman can no longer move 😆

Before we get started, let's just go through a few basic things that you want to avoid.

You will have to read the labels to find out what is in your candy and treats. 

You might be shocked when you start reading the labels and finding out what they actually put in them. 

A lot of candy has very little real food and is mostly sugar.  

1.  Artificial ingredients, artificial flavors, and artificial coloring

   The research will continue to develop, but artificial ingredients have been linked to allergic reactions, food sensitivities, GI symptoms, and worsening symptoms of ADHD.  So scan that label for food dyes and words that you don't know what they are.  If you don’t know what the word is, most likely it is some chemical that you want to avoid.

2. Sugary treats with excess sugars 

   Some sugar is most likely fine for kids, but we want to avoid that overload of highly processed sugar.  And you would be surprised how a little sugar here and there really adds up.

3.  High fructose corn syrup

   This is probably the worst processed sugar and it doesn’t matter if it is high fructose corn syrup or just corn syrup.  It is cheap to make and that is why it is found in so many candies.  Candy corn is a great example.  The first ingredient is sugar, followed by the second ingredient, corn syrup.  If you didn’t know, ingredients are listed in order of what the food has the most to least in. So you can see it's mostly sugar!

Things to look for in a healthier treat

When you find foods that have less or none of the things mentioned above and more of the things below, that will lead you on the right track to finding a healthier snack for Halloween.  

1. Whole foods & healthier ingredients

   If you can find something that is a whole food, that is a huge bonus.  So think of a pumpkin seed or sunflower seed.  These are whole foods that could be added to something to make a healthy treat.

   You will need to actually check the food labels and see what is in them.  You want to look for whole foods listed at the top of the ingredient list.

   *Whole foods should be the foundation of what you are eating most of the time.  If you want to know how to eat whole foods as a family, check out my blog and video post here. 
   

2.  Healthier treats

   Things don’t have to be perfect, so you can always opt for healthier versions.  So you might still get something that has sugar, but maybe it doesn’t have artificial colors and ingredients.  It can be just about finding a better alternative.
   

Healthy Halloween treats alternative ideas

Traditional Halloween candy is typically filled with lots of sugar and artificial ingredients.  It is typically cheap ingredients that are meant to be addictive like corn syrup and processed oils.

I’m sure you have found that if you start eating candy it is hard to stop. This is because of these highly addictive food qualities that your body starts to crave.  

1. Trail mix

   This can be a great option for a Halloween snack because it actually includes whole foods.  Variations of trail mix can include whole foods like: peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or coconut shreds.  Although they sometimes have dried fruit or chocolate that will have extra sugar, this is much better than traditional candy and can be a great healthy snack.

2. Chocolate chips

   This is a fun treat that is simple. Finding chocolate chips that don’t have high fructose corn syrup can be a fun way to get a savory treat. 

3.  Pumpkin seeds & sunflower seeds

   This is a great option for someone who has food allergies and can’t have peanuts or tree nuts.  You can mix it with some chocolate chips or coconut shreds for a sweet treat.  You can even find Enjoy’s Life’s packages to hand out to trick-or-treaters.

4.  Peanut butter or Almond butter packets

   This is a great way to have whole food portioned out into a package.  These are great to add to an apple or carrots to have a healthy snack.

5. Chocolate bars

   You can find dairy & dairy-free options (great for food allergies) of just getting a plain chocolate bar.   This is a great option to get a sweet treat but also to avoid all the artificial ingredients they put into candy.  Just read the label and opt for ones that have no corn syrup.

6.  Granola bars

   Try finding the right granola bar that doesn’t have a ton of added sugar, especially from cane sugar or corn syrup is key! This leads to a much better option. Look for natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup.
   

Here are some examples that we have used in our house! Click on the pictures to check them out on Amazon!

 Non-candy Halloween treats

Kids typically get so much candy from all sorts of different Halloween parties, so it can actually be nice to get something that is not food!  Kids eventually stop eating and they need something to actually do, so having some non-candy items the kids can actually play with can be very helpful.

1. Glow sticks

   I don’t think I have ever met a kid who didn’t like glow sticks.  And as a bonus, they can use it while they are out trick or treating when it gets dark and wear it to bed.

2.  Flashing Halloween Rings and Finger Lights

   Just like the glow sticks, these are great to use when you are out trick or treating or back at your house.  

3.  Temporary tattoos

   These are a good idea because they are simple & cheap and kids love them.  

4.  Scary Monster Halloween sticker

   Stickers are a great way for kids to have something to do.  Just give them a sheet of paper and let them have fun putting stickers everywhere. They could even make a Halloween story with the stickers.

5.  Bubbles

   These little party favors can be a great simple thing to hand out to keep kids busy after you cut them off from their candy. And the deep breathing needed for blowing can be a great calming activity.

6.  Bouncy balls

   This is a great idea for those active kids, especially boys.  This lets them run around as they chase the ball and burn off some of that energy.

   
   *Here are some ideas! You can click on the picture and it will take you to Amazon!

Halloween night can be such a fun time of year, but the kids and you can easily get overloaded with sugar.

When you start to think outside the box, you will discover that there are many fun ways to still have a treat, whether it is food or a non-food item.  

P.S.  Healthy meals can be an important part of filling up and not overdoing the candy, so if you are looking for some ideas to meal prep for weight loss, then head to my article here: https://www.micheleriechman.com/blog/meal-prep-ideas-for-weight-loss

-Coach Michele