It is pretty hard for healthy food to compete with a holiday that revolves almost completely around candy. If you ask my kids "candy" doesn't come in any farther than second when asked what the best part of Halloween was.
Have you seen the video going around that films a study that was conducted and has kids eating "treats" made out of vegetables and made to be veggie flavored. The part where they eat the nori-pops just about kills me every time.
But you don't have to be the worst house on the block and give out healthy treats. Or at least, not as bad for you as candy - "treats".
Peanuts - kinda fun and different, you'll need to be careful of children with peanut allergies, but those kiddos have to be careful around most candies anyway.
Pumpkin Seeds - you can make them salty or sweet. Save them from your jack-o-lantern carving and call it a double whammy!
Cereal or Granola bars - watch your sugar intake on these, they can get a little high if you aren't paying attention, but you can find ones that are made without excess sugar and without high fructose corn syrup.
Carrot Sticks - you can buy them in individual sized packages. Watch out for the ones with dip included you can undo all the good you are trying to do with those sneaky servings of fat and calories.
String Cheese - low in calories, high in protein and calcium, and who doesn't love to make long strings and gobble them down.
Popcorn balls. - while you can make them from home when you get a craving, most parents will frown on homemade treats during trick-or-treating. You can buy factory sealed ones at your local store and be the cool house that is handing out whole grains!
Trail Mix - lots of varieties, lots of choices, pick one that is more fruit and nuts than candy and you are good to go.
Pretzels - We were lucky enough to catch on to these a while ago, they come in trick or treat sized bags and we stock up for the rest of the year. They make great take-to-the-class school snacks.
Apples and Oranges or Raisins - Fruit always makes a great portable snack and kids love it - everyone loves it.
You can always think outside the box and give away toothbrushes, nickels, or little trinket toys. Anything that comes in a single serving or snack size would be great - applesauce, fruit purees, and snack packs of fruit packed in juice. Get creative, you could be the most popular house on the block.
