For me, Halloween has always been about the kids and their costume choices, whether planned for weeks or last minute and sometimes random. I remember one year where one of our kids was in middle school and had decided trick or treating was just for little kids, but then changed heart at the last minute, rummaged through some stuff and went out with friends dressed as … a box. Priceless. Even with goblins and ghost ringing my doorbell in the dark, the costumes were never the scary part.
To me, the scary part used to be the candy, especially when I decided that I should buy it a month in advance to be ready. Or sort it in those little bags the week before or put it in the bowl the day before. An open bowl of candy was never a good idea. And the days and weeks after Halloween were worse with the incoming treats that were even less healthy.
Now that I am more aware of good nutritious snack options, understanding the ingredients in everything we eat and why it matters to know the sources of our food (I used the term food very loosely here), today candy scares me for entirely different reasons. Spoiler alert – candy is not a whole food! An occasional treat is one thing, but anything that becomes a food staple for the days and weeks surrounding Halloween deserves a closer look. Loaded with GMOs, saturated fat and sugar, the serving sizes of most candies are woefully understated. And after watching the documentary, The Dark Side of Chocolate, I am reminded at what cost.
But healthy can still be fun and delicious, even on Halloween. My wonderful neighbor growing up used to hand out apples that were one of the highlights of our trick or treating each year. Her commitment to offering a healthy choice inspired me, so this year we took the pledge. At our house this year, we will be handing out only Fair Trade, Organic and Vegan Candy and Chocolate on Halloween. It is a bit more expensive but the quality is so much better so a little goes a long way. And it’s sourced from small farmer cooperatives without using child labor. The alternative, now that’s scary.
So this Halloween, my hope is that a few of the kids, at least the slightly older ones who are dressed up like a box, will read the wrapper, taste the difference and ask their parents or research why fair trade and organic matters, and that more families will start thinking that healthy treats on Halloween aren’t so scary after all.
Full disclosure – Although a little dark chocolate (operative phrase – a little bit) has been shown to lower blood pressure, improve mood by releasing endorphins and has a lower glycemic index than other chocolate, not all dark chocolate is the same or even vegan. Many fair trade dark chocolates packaged as Halloween treats are still in the range of 50-60% cocoa making them darker but without as many of the health benefits of the dark chocolate that has more than 70% cocoa. Not a secret – the more cocoa, the less sugar and fat. Very dark chocolate can be naturally bitter, ergo the compromise. Cocoa nibs are a less sweet way to get a little chocolate without the rest. And for those with intense chocolate cravings, your body might be telling you that you have a magnesium deficiency. When that happens in our family, I recommend dark…leafy greens or broccoli which are both high sources of magnesium. Seriously, try eating a bowl of broccoli the next time you crave chocolate and see what happens. Either way, a little taste of quality chocolate can be a great occasional treat.
