Kids love sugar. I heard of a recent study that finds kids’ preference for really sweet tastes has something to do with the caloric needs of their growing bones. So, they can’t help it, it’s their biology. Ha!Now I don’t need a study to tell me kids love sweets. I just look at my son. Ever since his second birthday a few months ago, he’s been asking for birthday cake for dinner every night. Luckily, his sugar cravings can be satisfied by a banana or other fruit. But beware, bananas can’t fend off the sugar monsters that will be roaming the streets in a few weeks seeking to satisfy their insatiable appetites for all things sweet.
Whether you keep these little goblins and ghouls at bay with candy or you have another secret weapon (some folks swear by coins and toothbrushes!), don’t let the poor souls fall victim to hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup or artificial preservatives, colors and flavors. Our stores carry Halloween candy and treats that live up to the high quality standards of all our products and don’t have any of that scary stuff.
Here are a few of our favorites:
Annie’s Homegrown Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks – Halloween Pack These soft and chewy gummy treats from Annie’s come in fun bunny shapes and are made with real fruit juice. They’re organic, vegan (they are made without gelatin) and don’t have any artificial color, flavors or preservatives.
EnviroKidz Organic Chocolate Koala Mini Crispy Rice Bars Made with four grams of whole grains these organic chocolaty mini treats may be gluten free, wheat free and low in fat and sodium but they get high marks for sweet and crunchy deliciousness.
Endangered Species Chocolate Halloween Treats Individually wrapped for Halloween, this is premium, shade-grown, ethically traded chocolate that both kids and grown-ups will love. Endangered Species Chocolate sources cocoa beans from family-owned cooperatives in Ivory Coast where the income benefits the community. Ten percent of Endangered Species’ net profits are donated to fund species and habitat conservation efforts. Available in Milk Chocolate (kosher) and Dark Chocolate (vegan and kosher).
Snyder's of Hanover Halloween Pretzel Snack Sacks Don’t want to give in to those sugar monsters? These fat-free and sugar-free pretzels are a fun twist on the usual Halloween sweet treat.Snyder’s of Hanover offers Halloween Snack Sacks, little individual packs of bite-size pretzels in a big bag decorated with a jack-o'-lantern.
Lifeway Probugs Organic Kefir for Kids While we don’t suggest handing these out on Halloween, you might want to have them on hand when your little one wakes up from their sugar stupor. This is the classic probiotic kefir in fun, no-spill, no-mess, squishy pouches perfect for small hands. Lifeway kefir is full of protein and calcium and has 10 live and active cultures (the good bacteria) to support digestive health. Plus they come in these fun, kid-friendly flavors: Strawnana Split, Sublime Slim Lime, Goo Berry Pie and Orange Creamy Crawler.
So, how do you fend off attacks from little sugar fiends during Halloween?
