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Healthy Halloween :: Less Scary Treat Options for Your Little Goblins

Candy image by jeffadair

Halloween is almost here. Scary costumes and terrifying haunted houses are nothing compared to what frightful things may be in your child’s treat bag at the end of the night.

Most of us are not afraid to let our little ones go for it on the candy this one night of the year. But the consequences could be more serious than the resulting sugar high.

Several of the most popular trick or treat candies contain GMOs. Who wants their kids filling up on these nasty ingredients?

The GIVE Project circulated their own infographic last Halloween, getting parents’ attention in the process:

The Give Project GMO Candy

As you can see, many crowd favorites are on the list. Reese’s…really?!

Over 80% of packaged foods sold in the US contain GMOS, and as we see above this includes candy. And it doesn’t stop there. It doesn’t take a lot of research to know that most candies contain a wealth of artificial colorants and flavors. I mean, have you ever seen a bright blue raspberry in real life?

The ingredient listings on a pack of Sour Patch Kids or Skittles will make you sick to your stomach. And these are the types of candies that kids love. Food Babe, one of my favorite sources for lessons on clean eating, has come up with a handy candy shopping guide to keep your little ghosts and goblins toxin-free. And check out these jack o lantern clementines. Kids love those teensy oranges anyway, but with a face? So cute!

Food Babe Candy Guide

Other healthy food and non-food options for Halloween:

  • Mini bags of microwave popcorn
  • Mini play do
  • Temporary tattoos
  • Stickers

Keeping the junk out of the treat bags doesn’t have to be difficult. Take these ideas with you when you go shopping, and have yourself a safe, fun, and healthy Halloween!

[Image by jeffadair at Flickr.com, cc]

Written by Liz Thompson

I am an organic beauty expert, writer, and mom of two young environmentalists who can already spot a toxic product when they see one. Read more about me at Organic Beauty Source.com, and find me on , Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.

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