Hearing that a lot this month?  With Halloween candy around every store corner, it may be difficult to discourage your children from eating sweets.  Here are some suggestions for fun healthier alternatives to candy:

• mini-bottles of bubbles
• Stickers
• Crayons
• Pencils
• Sugar-free gum (or a natural chewing gum like Glee gum)
• Granola bars
• Cereal bars
• individual packs of Pretzels
• Packets of instant hot chocolate
• individual packs of Raisins
• Fruit leathers
• Prepackaged trail mix

 Why encourage alternatives to candy ?

• 24.3 pounds Per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2009 (Source: Current Industrial Reports, Confectionery: 2009 <http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/cir/historical_data/ma311d/index.html>).
• The number of adolescents who are overweight has tripled since 1980 and the prevalence among younger children has more than doubled. According to the 1999-2002 NHANES survey, 16 percent of children age 6-19 years are overweight (Source:  Childhood Obesity U.S. Department of Health & Human Service: 2011 <http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/child_obesity/>).
• Lead can be found in candy & wrappers – Imported candies or foods, especially from Mexico, containing chili or tamarind (Source: Sources of Lead: 2011 <http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/lead/sources.htm#candy>).

It’s never too late to begin making healthy choices.  Make it this year’s Halloween resolution!

Candy alternative suggestions gathered from the following web sites:

Department of Health and Human Services Center s for Disease Control and Prevention.  “Halloween Health and Safety Tips” December 16, 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September 29, 2011 <http://www.cdc.gov/family/halloween/>

Davidson, Lela. “Top 5 Halloween Candy Alternatives” HubPages. September 29, 2011 <http://leladavidson.hubpages.com/hub/Halloween-Candy-Alternatives>

 Gates, Amy. “Trick-or-Treat:  Halloween Candy Alternatives.”  October 26, 2008. Crunchy Domestic Goddess. September 29, 2011

< http://crunchydomesticgoddess.com/2008/10/26/trick-or-treat-halloween-candy-alternatives/>

 Image Copyright (c) 2004 by Rochelle, just rochelle  used under a Creative Commons license.

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