Enjoying Halloween WITHOUT the Sugar RUSH!
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN! (well almost).
There is a fine balance as a parent of wanting your kids to have fun and enjoy the holidays, but still not have them loaded up on sugar!
If you're anything like me I don't give my kids refined sugar (for the most part), and focus on healthier alternatives and things sweetened with honey and maple syrup in moderation.
So when holidays come I make sure my kids can still enjoy the holidays but take care of their health as well and not eat bags full of junk food.
I find with Halloween the "act" of trick or treating is much more fun than the actual eating of the candy (could just be me though). So we trick or treat, have pumpkins, decorate the house but we reduce / eliminate the sugar burden.
Some things I have done to lessen the "sugar" burden on my kids while they still get to enjoy the holiday.
We would go trick or treating and my husband would buy the bucket of candy off of our kids. He would enjoy it, and then they would get a toy or something they really wanted that is a non-candy alternative.
We are very blessed, and in our neighbourhood everyone knows us and they know that we don't eat refined sugar. A lot of our neighbours have actually gone out of their way to give a non-candy alternative. They will purchase stickers or colouring books at the dollar store and my kids are so thrilled!
Scavenger hunts around the house. Buy "healthier" candy and little things and hide them around the house so they can find them. This is a perfect thing to do when it is raining.
This year however I bought some healthier treats for them with no to little bits of sugar in them for them to enjoy. Daddy will get their Halloween candy and they will get a bag of healthier treats. Here are some of the things that I put in their bag this year. They are going to be so excited!
Smart Sweets Watermelon Gummies - These gummies are amazing - they taste good and are sweetened with stevia. They also have a lot of fiber in it, so if you or your kid is having trouble pooping.... just saying :) I would only recommend eating one a day, as you might experience loose bowels if you consume more than that depending on your fiber intake. All the flavours of this are delicious! I got them the watermelon ones and the cola gummies. These are coloured with fruit and vegetable extracts, and stevia for the sweetener.
Skinny Pop Popcorn - This popcorn is non GMO, Dairy and Gluten Free. They actually just came out (or has been out a while and I just discovered it) a vegan cheddar one as well. Simple ingredients too - Popcorn, Sunflower Oil and Salt.
Camino Dark Chocolate - The chocolate bar I got is 92% cacao, which isn't for everyone as it is more bitter - we aren't used to really sugary chocolate so my kids and I are okay with 92-100 percent cacao. So I would recommend working up to the higher cacao. Because these are a traditional "candy" and have higher amounts of cacao I would consume a smaller amount maybe 1-3 squares in a sitting.
Koochikoo Lollipops - This I just discovered, I haven't tried them yet, but they are the cleanest ingredient lollipops I've ever seen. There is no sugar added. They are made with organic tapioca fibre, citric acid, natural flavours (blueberry, orange, apple, lemon, pomegranate, pineapple), purple sweet potato extract, turmeric, red pepper extract and rosemary extract. I am SOO excited to try these, as lollipops are a part of my childhood but the ones I had were made with glucose-fructose and artificial colouring and flavourings! This is a much better alternative.
Earth's Own Oat Milk - I just got these at Zehrs. I got these individual packs of them as a treat. They love them but they aren't the most economical they are 3 for $3.99 at Zehrs. So I get them once and a while for a special treat to include in their lunches.
What do you do to avoid the sugar rush on Halloween?
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