Healthy Alternatives to Halloween Candy

(ARA) - When the ghosts and goblins, superheroes and villains come knocking on your door this Halloween, do them a favor. Instead of dropping a candy bar or two into their trick-or-treat bag, fill it up with healthy alternatives. With childhood obesity on the rise in the United States, a bag full of candy bars -- with their empty calories -- is the last thing the neighborhood kids need.

“Nutrition and Halloween aren’t two words that are normally seen together, but it is possible to promote healthy eating habits during the Halloween season,” says Lisa Katic, the nutrition advisor for the Snack Food Association. She recommends parents make sure their kids have a nutritious meal before heading out the door to go trick-or-treating so they won’t be tempted to fill up on candy; and instead of handing out candy bars, that you set a good example for the neighborhood by giving away nutritious snacks.

Sugarless Bazooka / Gourmet Sugarless Pops / Sugarfree Rainbow Pops Sugarfree Starlite Mints / Sugarfree Sour Lollipops

Among the Halloween alternatives gaining in popularity these days, Sugarfree Jelly Belly, Halloween 16" Punch Ball, Sugarless Bazooka, and packets of instant Sugar Free Candies. “You really can’t go wrong setting a precedent in the neighborhood as the home that hands out the treats that are good for you,” says Katic.

Which is your favorite flavor? Baskin and Robbins has added great taste to sugar free, low carb sherbert Sugar Free Candies. Packed in a quart container it can pass for sherbert until you open it to find the outstanding strawberry, rasberry and orange sherbert flavor candies.

Here are some other alternatives to Halloween Candy:

* Sports or trading cards. If you have a little more money in your Halloween treat budget, you might consider buying some sports cards or another popular trading card for children. Those with large budgets can probably afford to leave an entire pack in every child's bag, but you could also give out individual cards.

 

* School supplies or stickers. Kids are always misplacing their pencils, erasers and crayons, so these are holiday treats they will really appreciate. Stickers are also popular among youngsters in school. They can use them to dress up their notebooks or lockers.

Sponge Bob Halloween Stickers / Pooh Halloween Stickers
Scooby Doo Halloween Stickers

Halloween Glow Products

You can find special Halloween packaged bags of Snyder’s of Hanover minis at stores across the country from now through Halloween. For more information about the health benefits of pretzels, log on to www.snydersofhanover.com. Courtesy of ARA Content

Spooky Lawn Spider

1. Fill a large black garbage bag with raked leaves from your yard or crumpled newspaper. Tie the top of the bag in a knot to close. Turn the bag upside down. This is the body of the spider.
2. Ask your parents to take you to a hardware store to buy eight 3-foot pieces of black irrigation piping for legs. Attach the "legs" to the bag with black electric tape. Or, instead of going to the hardware store, you could just cut four garbage bags in half so that you have eight halves. Fold the halves in half lengthwise and tape the cut side together so that it looks like a tube. Stuff the "legs" with newspaper or leaves and attach them to the "body."
3. Paint eyes on the bag with white paint or glue white construction paper to the bag to use as eyes. Decorate your spider any way you want.

Flying Bat

1. Blow up a black balloon, tie the end, and attach a string to the end.
2. Cut wings, ears, and eyes out of construction paper and glue them to the balloon.
3. Hang your bat from the ceiling.

Lollipop Ghosts

1. Cover a lollipop with a white piece of tissue and tie a piece of yarn around the stick.
2. Draw a face on the ghost with markers.

Silly Spider Web

1. Put a piece of black construction paper into a cake or pie pan.
2. Put a little bit of white paint into the center of the paper.
3. Drop a marble in the paint and tilt the pan around.
4. The marble will roll all over the paper leaving a white "spider web" trail behind it.

Halloween Party Supplies

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Halloween Party Supplies

Halloween Toys & Candy

9" Hanging Skeleton
Skeleton Clackers

Give Toys Not Candy!
This year hand out a fat free treat.
Halloween Stretch Figure
Monster Superball
Halloween Rings

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL EFFECTS

Halloween Decorations

Halloween Scene Setters

Halloween Decorating Kits

HALLOWEEN PARTY INVITATIONS

Shake Shiver & Snuggle Halloween Invitation...check these out!

All Hollow's Eve Invitation
BOO! Halloween Invitation
Spider Webs Halloween Invitation
A Halloween Classic Invitation

Halloween Candy Bar Wrapper
For a spook-tacular treat, wrap your candy bars in personalized wrappers. Choose a design, lettering style and an ink color to create a personalized favor that will scare your guests with fun.

Halloween Banners

Halloween Glow Lights
Great for Halloween to light a pumpkin and a great safety feature for trick and treaters.

Light Sticks
Glow Lite-ropes
Glow Cups
Glow Decorating Items

HALLOWEEN PARTY SUPPLIES

Halloween Party Supplies
Halloween Toys & Candy

Halloween Banners
Halloween Decorations

Halloween Scene Setters
Halloween Glow Products

Halloween Costumes
Halloween Wigs & Masks

Halloween Costume Accessories
Halloween Kits & Accessories

Halloween Makeup & Hairspray
Halloween Hats

Orange Halloween Imprinted Napkins
Mommy Orange Card Holders

HALLOWEEN TOYS/PRIZES

8' Halloween Stocking
6' Halloween Stocking
Mega Treasure Chest w 500 Toys
Value Pack Chest w 100 Toys
Grab Bag Treasure Chest w 600 Toys
Grab Bag Treasure Chest w 200 Toys
Teddy's Treasure Chest w 200 Toys
Chest Tooth Assortment w 100 toys
Magic Tricks w 72 tricks
Stuffed Toy Chest w 36 Plush Toys

Super Toy Assortment (50)
Value Pack Refill (100)
Treasure Toy Refill (200)
Grab Bag Refill (600)

Plastic Treasure Chest
Red & Yellow Mega Chest
Large Toy Chest

FREE HALLOWEEN
Party Catalog

PLUM PARTY

Halloween Costume Party

 
Bat Pinata