Have a Healthy Halloween: Low-Sugar Candy for Trick-or-Treaters
No one wants to deprive the kids of their treats, but parents are rightfully concerned about their children's sugar intake. According to the USDA, each American consumes an average of 152 pounds of sugar every year!
Parents are limiting the sugar in their kids' diets for a variety of reasons: to avoid obesity, prevent tooth decay, manage the symptoms of hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders, or to control blood sugar levels in children with diabetes. How can parents protect their kids' health without dampening the Halloween fun? Consider sugar-free or low-sugar candy.
Gone are the days when sugarless candy meant a limited selection and inferior taste. Today there's a delicious low-sugar or sugar-free option for every sweet tooth. Check out these sources when it's time to stock up on healthier Halloween treats.
Hershey's
Hershey's, the king of American candymakers, now offers a variety of sugar-free choices. Whether it's Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, York Peppermint Patties, or Jolly Ranchers, you and the kids can enjoy all your favorites without the sugar.
Candywarehouse.com
This site makes Halloween candy shopping a breeze. It stocks an amazing variety of sugarless sweets, and they're available in bulk quantities, so filling those trick-or-treat bags won't break the bank.
ASugarfreeCandyStore.com
If you're looking for more unusual candies, you'll find them here: taffy, caramels, toffee, even chocolate-covered marshmallows. This site also offers sugar-free candy for other holidays, like Peeps, kosher Hannukah lollipops, and chocolate Santas.
PerfectlySweet.com
This family-owned shop specializes in sugarless sweets, especially chocolate. You'll be astonished by their wide variety of candies. For upscale Halloween treats, try their Cavalier Woodies (cookie and chocolate bars) or Cavalier Neapolitan Miniatures chocolate bars.
CandyFavorites.com
This site offers, among other sugarless sweets, candy drops in exotic flavors like banana, coffee, and coconut. If you're also in the market for traditionally-sweetened confections, CandyFavorites.com sells hard-to-find retro candies from years past, like Choward's Violet Mints, Bubble Gum Candy Cigarettes, and Squirrel Nut Zippers.
Note: Sugar-free candies are often sweetened with ingredients like maltitol, sorbitol, or mannitol, which can have a laxative effect. Introduce sugar-free candy slowly, and monitor your child's reaction.
Sources
United States Department of Agriculture, "Profiling Food Consumption in America." Agriculture Factbook 2001-2002
Hersheys.com
CandyWarehouse.com
ASugarfreeCandyStore.com
PerfectlySweet.com
CandyFavorites.com
Photo credits
Candies: stock.xchng/bouts
Chocolate: stock.xchng/cybersnot
Lollipop: stock.xchng/nazreth
Published by Meredith Church
Meredith Church is a writer and designer based in New Brunswick, New Jersey. View profile
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1 Comments
Post a CommentIt’s great that candy companies are offering healthier candy choices. I would have much rather had sugar-free candy as a kid then the dreaded pretzels that some neighbors gave out!