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Healthy Snacks on Halloween? Boo!

by · October 27th, 2009
Candy, Family & Kids, Health, Holidays, Humor, On The Web

PicForMyNewsletterNov22003chicagoHALLOWEENCANDY

I don’t wish to disappoint anyone, but this post does not contain any recipes or ideas for healthy snacks to give out to your trick-or-treaters this Halloween.  Actually, it is an appeal for just the opposite.

I overheard an acquaintance telling someone how they would be giving out “healthy snacks” to young trick-or-treaters for Halloween.  The other replied:  “You know, that’s such a great idea.  I should do that.”

Now, I know there are many foodies reading this blog (including myself), but I couldn’t help but find myself feeling a bit sorry for the kids who would be knocking on their doors expecting Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups this Saturday night, only to find a vegan oat-bran something-or-other dropped into their plastic pumpkin.

Personally, I enjoy vegan cookies (especially the ones at Real Food Daily in Los Angeles).  But I recall one Halloween when I was about 10 or 11, trick-or-treating with my friends in a suburb of Austin, TX, when we came to a house whose owner gave us each a Delicious Red apple – and nothing else.  I picked it up, looked at it quizically, and grudgingly dropped it back into my pumpkin.  (How this person could afford to buy so many apples, I do not know…though they weren’t organic).

Growing up, Halloween was one of the only times in the year when I was permitted to eat tooth-rotting candy.  And it wasn’t just the candy itself that was so special.  My friends and I would sit on the floor of my living room, dump out our “take” on the carpet, and begin trading with one another:  a Twix for a York Peppermint patty; Twizzlers for some Red Hots…though we had no formal diplomatic experience, we created a perfect – if chaotic – system of trade whereby each child was able to end up with his/her most favorite sweets at the end of the night.

How many children will be able to unload a vegan, sugar-free lollipop or a Delicious Red apple onto one of their peers?  Fat chance.  Perhaps, then, we should not begrudge children this one night of processed sweets, if only for the communal aspect that goes along with the abundance of sugar and which is sure to add to their psycho-social development.

Just make sure they brush their teeth very well.

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5 Responses to “Healthy Snacks on Halloween? Boo!”

  1. Ellie Says:
    October 28th, 2009 at 9:46 am

    I love this article. My mother is a health food zealot (I am one too). But we were always allowed treats on holidays and if we went out to dinner.

    In addition to the Halloween (or birthday party, whatever) social aspect of sweets it is helping children learn moderation.

    Children have to learn moderation and self-control. You can eat Reeses Pieces on Halloween until you get a tummy-ache, but you can’t eat them every day.

  2. Preston Says:
    October 28th, 2009 at 12:25 pm

    Thanks for the comment, Ellie. I agree that children need to learn moderation and self-control. I guess for me it’s also about letting kids do kid-things and not trying to turn them into “health-conscious” adults too fast. Though, I submit, I may feel slightly different when I (God willing) have kids of my own one day!

  3. Julie Steinberg Says:
    October 28th, 2009 at 5:20 pm

    I loved this piece! Fun and well written. And yes, kids need to learn self-control, not asceticism.

    One thing that does make me sad is the fall of homemade Halloween treats, and I mean the good stuff. Caramel apples, peanut butter cookies, molded lollipops…these were abundant when I was growing up. I’d like to see a return to trust between neighbors, and confidence that kids can enjoy these things without fear of being harmed.

    Perhaps one way to manage this is to consider better made candies, ones with no corn syrup or fewer preservatives. Also, I recently came across this site for ideas: http://www.naturalcandystore.com/ – seems like a good selection of organic candy (and they are family owned) – they also have a section for kosher candy.

  4. Andrea Says:
    October 29th, 2009 at 9:43 pm

    Right on.
    As health conscious as I am, I generally buy a big box of chocolate bars the day after Halloween when it’s on sale. It lasts a large part of a year. Pop some of those in the freezer and they taste even better.

  5. Hannah Lee Says:
    November 1st, 2009 at 7:20 pm

    Halloween report: To my surprise, the kids coming to my door loved the party-sized containers of Play-Doh, even the middle-schoolers! The small bags of pretzels were ignored, although some also wanted the candy.

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