Surviving Halloween: Candy Without the Scare

I don't know about you, but I do enjoy Halloween. I know it can be controversial but I only have good memories of it growing up. We would have a huge neighborhood Halloween party and turn our entire house into a mini haunted house. My dad would change out every light bulb, had a fog machine, and so much more!

However...that doesn't mean I want my kids to be on a sugar high for a whole week.

Here's a list of all the "better" candy brands I found that don't contrain artificial food dyes & most have less or no sugar:

• Unreal Candy

  • Offers chocolates, peanut butter cups, and gems made with non-GMO ingredients and no artificial colors.

  • Uses ingredients like beet juice and spirulina for coloring.

• YumEarth

  • Specializes in organic lollipops, gummy bears, and licorice made with natural colors and flavors.

  • Uses fruit and vegetable extracts for color.

• SmartSweets

  • Low-sugar gummies and candies, free of artificial dyes.

  • Colors come from ingredients like carrot juice and radish extract.

• Wholesome Organic DelishFish

  • Organic, non-GMO candy similar to Swedish Fish but made without artificial colors or flavors.

  • Colored with fruit and vegetable juices.

• Surf Sweets

  • Organic gummy bears, sour worms, and jelly beans with natural fruit flavors.

  • Colors derived from fruit and vegetable extracts like black carrot juice.

• Black Forest Organic Gummies

  • Offers gummy bears and worms made with organic ingredients and free from artificial dyes.

  • Natural colors from fruits and plants.

• Alter Eco

  • Chocolate truffles and bars made with organic ingredients, free of artificial dyes.

  • Focuses on sustainability and fair trade practices.

• Lily's Sweets

  • Sugar-free chocolate bars and peanut butter cups sweetened with stevia.

  • No artificial colors or flavors.

• Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

  • Made with organic ingredients and no artificial colors.

  • Uses organic cane sugar and fair-trade chocolate.

• OCHO Organic Candy

  • Organic chocolates filled with caramel, peanut butter, or coconut, free from artificial dyes.

  • Uses natural ingredients for flavor and color.

• HU Chocolate Gems

  • Made with simple, organic ingredients.

  • Free of artificial dyes, refined sugars, and emulsifiers.

• Made Good Soft Baked Mini Cookies

  • Not technically candy, I like these because they come in individual packages, made organic with hidden veggies

If there is a special occassian or a holiday, I'll let them have one piece of candy from this list that they pick out.

For Trick or Treating, we still go out! At the end of the night I collect the candy and replace it with a couple of their favorite "better" options and a toy that I know will get them excited and entertain them! I've kept traditional candy out of the house since day one so they don't really have a fit about not having the candy they collected.

I also try to get them a good serving of protein before having treats :)

Although my kids are young and I'm not sure how long all of this will last, I'm going to try my best to keep this tradition going.

I control what I can control, which is what we eat at home 99% of the time. The one-off occasions won't make or break their health, so I don't stress over this stuff if it doesn't go perfectly.

I'd love to hear any of your Halloween traditions!