The best Halloween treats for little goblins.

October 3, 11:18 AMSt. Louis Low-Carb ExaminerAmy Dungan

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Piles-O-Sugar: The normal Halloween booty.  Source

If you are as concerned about the sugar consumption in this country as I am, then Halloween is one of those holidays that makes you just cringe.  Already the store isles are lined with confection after confection. Parents are racing past hoping their children won’t notice so they may avoid the begging, pleading and whining that the word candy seems to induce. If you have children, you dread all the sweets that will soon be piled on the kitchen table while your children count up their loot. You also know that you’ll have to hide most of it, or that ceiling high stack will be devoured within a couple of days.

We can do very little in regards to what other people give out on All Hallows Eve. But you can make a difference for other parents. This year, instead of that same old bowl of sugar-coma inducing junk food, we are giving out non-food prizes. You heard me right. No candy will be distributted from our house this year. And the children that visit us won't be disappointed in the least. I know this because the items we’ll be giving out are fun, inexpensive and will still be around long after the candy, and bellyaches, are long gone.

If you’re concerned about the rapidly rising obesity and disease rate in our children today, I urge you to make this one small change in your holiday routine. Other parents may be happy to see non-candy treasures in their little Ironman’s hands and do the same themselves in the years to come!

Here’s how you can find inexpensive, fun and healthy treats for all those Hannah Montanas that show up at your door.

• Check your local dollar store. Kids love stickers, pencils, cool erasers, color books, cars, bubbles, etc.  Just be sure to check that it’s safe for all age groups. If not, you might want to keep a special package of items back, like board books or rubber ducks, just for the toddlers that visit you.
• Check online retailers such as Oriental Trading.They have a huge array of items all reasonably priced. When our catalog arrives every month my kids will spend a good hour looking through it and picking out stuff they’d like. Normally I wouldn’t have use for 12 light-up yo-yo’s, but on Halloween those bulk deals really come in handy.
• Many fast food places, like McDonalds, have gift certificates you can buy that will let a child get a free item.  I’m not a huge fan of this, because I don’t think a Happy Meal is much better than candy, but I’d rather my kids got chicken nuggets than a Snickers bar.
• If you are determined to hand out food, look for snack packs of apples, oranges, carrots, etc. (These are usually sealed and thus more appealing to parents who are concerned about safety.) At least this will give mini Capt. Jack Sparrow something healthy to munch on while he commands his imaginary ship.

 
With our determination, and a little luck, maybe we can start shifting the norm in this country and teach our kids that candy is actually a trick. Doing something that’s good for you is the real treat.