Healthy Halloween Tips (+ Healthy Candy and Treat Ideas)

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Healthy Halloween Tips

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Healthy Halloween

How do you stick with healthy eating on Halloween?

How can you keep Halloween healthy for kids (and adults too)?

There are so many obstacles when you’re trying to live a healthy lifestyle, especially when you’re trying to help your kids be more health-conscious too.

Halloween is one of them, and probably the most difficult.

Even if you do allow your children an occasional treat, a whole bag of them is just too much.  And what if you want to avoid giving your kids sugar entirely?

These healthy Halloween tips and healthy Halloween treat ideas, can help you stick with your healthy lifestyle for Halloween, without making it a stressful event.  

This is my second year doing Halloween with my kids while trying to live a healthier lifestyle.

My kids know that they don’t get to keep the Halloween candy they collect trick or treating, but will get to trade it for healthy Halloween treats once we get home. 

Even knowing that they wouldn’t get to keep all of that candy last year, the kids still had a great time trick or treating and are looking forward to going again this year. 

Last year we had to be strict with Big Sis since she was on the GAPS diet, so she traded all of her trick or treating candy for our healthy treats.  I was more lenient with Lil Sis and let her keep 10 pieces of candy. 

Both of the kids were happy and enjoyed the healthy treats I made. 

Living a healthy lifestyle can have its challenges, but now that I’ve figured out how to approach it for Halloween it’s not so stressful. 

I hope these healthy Halloween tips will help you have a stress-free Halloween as much as they have helped me.

How to Have A Healthy Halloween with Kids

Healthy Halloween with Kids

Healthy Halloween Tip #1: Plan Ahead

Don’t wait until Halloween to decide how you are going to handle all those candies and treats.  The best way to make this night stress-free is to have a plan well before Halloween night.

Will you allow a few treats or are you going to remain strict with your family’s healthy eating habits?

Are there specific candies that are an absolute no, while others are alright?

Are you going to let them keep a specific number of treats or just allow a few on Halloween night?

Will they be trading in their trick or treating candy for healthier treats when they get home or will you do the Switch Witch, and trade for a toy or cash, instead?

What will you do with all the Halloween candy the kids aren’t keeping?

Don’t forget to plan for other Halloween events too.  Like the class Halloween party at school or any other parties or events.  Decide if you will allow a treat or two for these or if your child will be bringing in their own healthy Halloween treats instead.

Whatever you decide on, talk to your kids well in advance so they know what to expect. That way you avoid any meltdowns or disappointment on Halloween night.

While I am going to allow Big Sis to have some sugar free candy this year, she will be trading in all of her trick or treating candy (besides raisins or non-candy items) for our healthy Halloween treats.  Lil sis will do a trade too, but she will also be allowed to pick 10 pieces of candy to save and have one or two pieces on Halloween night. 

Healthy Halloween Tip #2: Go Trick or Treating

If you aren’t going to let your kids keep the candy, is there any point in going trick or treating?

As long as they know they won’t be keeping the treats and still want to go, why not?

Halloween isn’t just about collecting free candy, it’s also about the experience.

What other day of the year do you get to dress up as whoever you want and go show it off to everyone in the neighborhood?  For some kids, trick or treating is as much about the fun of going door to door and seeing everyone else’s costumes and decorations, as it is about the treats. 

So, as long as they still want to, why not let them go?

Last year I gave my kids the choice to go trick or treating or go do something else for Halloween.  They both knew that they wouldn’t be keeping the candy, but would get to trade it for healthy Halloween treats afterward. 

They both chose to go trick or treating still.

Healthy Halloween Tip #3: Keep It Short.

If you’re not keeping the candy, there’s no need to spend all night trick or treating to collect it. 

Bring a smaller bucket to collect the candy in and call it quits once it’s full. 

If the stores at your local mall hand out candy on Halloween night, you could even just make a night of it there. 

Plan another activity for the kids after trick or treating, like watching a Halloween movie or making a special Halloween craft, so they don’t mind leaving when it’s time to go back home.

Last year we went trick or treating for about an hour, then headed back home to enjoy some treats and watch Scared Shrekless, one of our Halloween traditions.

Healthy Halloween Tip #4- Bring Treats Your Kids Can Eat

Your kids will want to try some of that candy they are collecting, even if they know they aren’t allowed. 

If you’ve decided that your child can have a few treats, decide beforehand how many pieces they are allowed while trick or treating.

If you’ve opted not to allow them any of the candy, bring some healthy Halloween treats for them to have instead.

And don’t forget to fill them up with a healthy meal before you head out, so they can’t play the “I’m so hungry” card as soon as they see all the goodies in their bucket.

Last year I kept a small bag with healthy Halloween treats in my coat pocket. As soon as the kids started asking to eat some of their candy, I pulled it out and let them chose a treat.  Since I had made some new treats that they hadn’t seen yet, they were both happy with this. 

Healthy Halloween Tip #5 Don’t Try to Be the Pinterest Mom of Paleo (Or Whatever Healthy Diet You Follow)

Honestly, just don’t put that pressure on yourself. 

If you choose to replace your kid’s candy with homemade healthy Halloween treats, don’t stress yourself out trying to make healthy Twix bars that look like the real thing.

You also don’t need to make 20 different treats.  Just try a few new recipes, and then stick to the treats you know your kid’s love.

Make less work for yourself by seeing what healthy treats you can find in stores that match your healthy eating habits.  It may even be things you already buy, but if it’s something you would normally limit, your kids will be excited about it. 

This year I tried out 3 new healthy Halloween treat recipes.  I also made our usual chocolates and gummy candies using Halloween themed molds.  And I bought a couple of bags of store-bought healthy treats too. 

While it will look like a lot to them when it’s time to trade, most of it is stuff I would buy for their lunches and snacks anyways.  They really aren’t getting any more treats than normal, they just think they are because now it’s all in their Halloween bags instead of the cupboard.

What Can You Do on Halloween Besides Trick or Treat?

If your kids choose to skip on trick or treating, here are some ideas of other things you can do on Halloween night.

  • Do a Halloween scavenger hunt
  • Go reverse trick or treating (dress up and deliver healthy treats to your local police station, fire station, nursing homes, and hospital)
  • See if any local attractions, like zoo’s or amusement parks, offer a Halloween event
  • See if any local farms are hosting Halloween events
  • Go to a haunted house or haunted corn maze
  • Check your community newspaper for other local Halloween events
  • Go to an escape room
  • Get dressed up and go to the movies
  • Let your kids host their own Halloween party (focused on fun, not food)
  • Host your own healthy Halloween potluck party
  • Have an at-home Halloween movie marathon
  • Host a Halloween game night
  • Make Halloween crafts or bake Halloween treats together

Healthy Halloween Tips for Adults

Now that we have the kids covered for a healthy Halloween, let’s tackle the tough question.

How can I stay healthy on Halloween?

  • Don’t purchase Halloween candy to hand out until the day before.
  • Give out Halloween candy you don’t like, or non-candy treats.
  • Eat before you take the kids trick or treating or to any other events.
  • Bring your own healthy Halloween party food to any adult parties.
  • Bring yourself healthy treats when you take the kids trick or treating.
  • Get all that Halloween candy out of your house ASAP on November 1st.
  • Bring healthy treats to work for the next month (because you know your coworkers will be off-loading their kid’s leftovers in the staff room).

Last Halloween I was on the keto diet and had been for 2 months already, so I had no problems resisting the Halloween candy temptations. 

This year, I’m just working on going back on the keto diet, so it will be harder to resist.  My plan is to bring a piece of dark chocolate or maybe a good fats bar and a can of Zevia with me.

Healthy Halloween Candy and Treats

What is the healthiest Halloween candy?

The healthiest options are ones that are organic, corn syrup free and made with natural flavors and colors.

If you decide to allow some candy but want to make sure they are at least healthier versions, here are some options.

Big Sis has lucked out this year since I have discovered the Smart Sweets candies are made with stevia instead of sugar.  While some of them contain rice flour, which she cannot have, the Fruity Gummy Bears don’t so I have picked up a pack for her to try.

Since I am more lenient with Lil Sis having a bit of sugar, I will be letting her have some YumEarth lollipops and gummy bears this year as a treat, on top of the 10 pieces of candy she will keep. 

Healthy Halloween Candy Alternatives

Healthy Candy Alternatives

If you are hoping to avoid candy altogether, or just want a few non-candy ideas, here are some good healthy treats for kids.

I have stocked up on a variety of flavors of Lara bars, other fruit bars, fruit leathers, raisins, and the Tutti bites, all treats the kids would normally have in moderation anyways.  They will also be happy to see the Bear fruit rolls since these are a new treat I just discovered.   

Healthy Halloween Treats

Healthy Halloween Treats

If you’ve decided to bake some healthy Halloween treats this year, you can find a lot of ideas by searching for sugar-free Halloween candy recipes, keto Halloween treat recipes, or paleo Halloween recipes.

If you want some quick ideas, check out my healthy “Halloween Candy Alternatives for Kids” board on Pinterest. 

This year I made the Apple Cider Caramels, Homemade Twix Bars (that look nothing like real Twix bars), and the Paleo Chocolate marshmallows. 

Healthy Halloween Treats for School Class Parties

One of the biggest obstacles to making sure your kids eat healthy, is school.  Halloween is just one of the many special occasions where kids bring in treats for the whole class. 

There are two options for making sure your child eats healthy at school, without missing out on the special occasion fun. 

Option 1 is sending in your own healthy treat for the class, like these Tangerine Pumpkins & Banana Ghosts, a skeleton vegetable tray, or nut-free healthy Halloween cupcakes.

Option two is just putting a couple of extra healthy treats in your child’s lunch and forgetting about the rest of the class. 

I opt for the second option. 

With Big Sis’s allergies, I have always just sent in extra treats in her lunch for class parties.  While I used to go all Pinterest mom for Lil Sis’s school parties, with all the baking I do just for my own family, I don’t have time to bake for an entire class anymore.

Healthy Halloween Snacks for adults

What about those adult Halloween parties?

What options are there for healthy Halloween snacks for adults?

While you could do the same thing as I do for my kids and just bring your own snacks, if you want to bring something you can share here are a few ideas I found online.

Homemade Adult Halloween Candy (made with wine, raisins and dark chocolate)

Ham and Jack Roll-Ups (zucchini rolls with ham and cheese that look like witches brooms)

Crude-Ités with Green Slime Dip (veggies with green food coloring in the dip)

Bloodshot Deviled Eyeballs (devilled eggs)

Paleo Pizza Eyeball Snacks (mini pizzas on a piece of pepperoni)

Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse

Since I didn’t go to any Halloween parties this year, I haven’t personally tried any of these recipes yet.  But they look pretty good to me.

What Healthy Halloween Candy Can I Hand Out?

Healthy Alternatives to Halloween Candy

What do you give for Halloween when you don’t want to hand out junk food?

Maybe you aren’t as worried about the neighborhood kids’ health as you are your own kids, but still want to make sure you aren’t giving out the worst candy you could. 

But what is the most unhealthy candy?

I’m not really sure you can narrow it down to which one is the worst. 

Nearly all typical Halloween candy is filled with unhealthy ingredients like artificial flavors, artificial colors, High Fructose Corn Syrup,  and other unhealthy sweeteners. 

They are also high in sugar, with many containing more than the 25 grams per day of added sugar that is recommended for children by the American heart association.

So, What Can I Give Out Instead of Candy for Halloween?

  • Snack-size bags of apple chips or other freeze-dried fruit
  • 100% real fruit strips or bars
  • Raisins
  • Bottles of water.
  • 100% juice boxes or pouches
  • Glow sticks
  • Mini stuffies
  • Crayons and mini coloring books
  • Pencils and erasers
  • Stickers or stamps
  • Temporary tattoos
  • Bubbles
  • Spider rings
  • Vampire teeth
  • Playdoug, slime or putty
  • Squishy toys
  • Silly straws
  • Dollar store party favors

Now that you have a plan to keep this Halloween healthy for you and your kids, all that is left is figuring out how to get rid of all that unwanted Halloween candy your kids collected afterward. 

While special occasions like Halloween can be stressful for the health-conscious mom, I hope all of my healthy Halloween tips make it a bit easier for you.

And remember, it’s Ok if things don’t go as planned.

If your two-year-old gets that sucker in their mouth before you can stop them, one lick isn’t going to hurt them.  I can’t tell you how many times Big Sis has gotten something in her mouth before I can get to her. 

The best healthy Halloween tip I can give to other moms is to relax a little.  Enjoy this experience, be a part of your children’s happiness, and be in the moment with them. 

Focus more on passing down family Halloween traditions and creating new ones.

Make Halloween is about having fun, not getting candy.

If you keep your focus on that, your kids will too.

Happy Halloween everyone!

What do you do on Halloween to keep things healthy?  What do you give out for Halloween?  Do you have any healthy Halloween tips to make things less stressful for us health-conscious moms?

Let me know on my Facebook post and follow me on Facebook to see what else I learn on my journey to live a healthier and happier life.

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