Trick-or-treaters will be thrilled with these alternatives to candy

These days, it is not a good idea to tick off trick-or-treaters. You might end up with a toilet paper mess on your front lawn the next day.

Usually, the little ghouls and goblins want one thing: lots of sweets and candy. As a mom, I want to encourage healthier eating because too much candy leads to extra visits to the dentist. Plus, the calorie count for all that candy adds up quickly. Four bite-size candy bars have a whopping 225 calories. When you factor in that three-fourths of Halloween candies contain frightful ingredients like trans-fats and hydrogenated oils, you end up with a scary nutrition nightmare on your hands.

What are some good alternatives to Halloween candy for trick-or-treaters — that won’t get your front lawn toilet papered?

Here are a few quick ideas that will not break the bank.

Halloween Figures

Halloween-themed toys will be a hit. I love these silly bendable Halloween figures I found at Amazon.

Glow in the dark toys

Kids will love these cute, mini glow-in-the-dark Halloween rubber ducks .

Novelty Toys

Crayons, silly rings, bracelets and mini sticker packs are other great Halloween alternatives that kids will love. You can find novelty packs like this one at Amazon for a good price. You can find similar items at Oriental Trading as well.

Freebies

Freebie items are also available from unconventional places like local state agencies, such as your state highway department or children’s social services department. Call them. They have all kinds of fun items for kids that you can put in trick-or-treaters’ bags. This coloring book is available from my state’s highway safety department.

Goldfish

You can still put snack alternatives in the little ghouls’ bags that are healthier than candy as well. All children love Pepperidge Farm Goldfish CrackersHalloween Snack Packs. These are favorites with my grands.

Here are suggestions for other treats that are lower in fat and sugar but may provide vitamins, minerals and fiber:

• Cereal bars
• Snack packets of dried fruit, baked pretzels, nuts and seeds (e.g. peanuts, unsalted almonds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds)
• Trail mix
• Packages of low-fat crackers with cheese or peanut butter filling
• Animal crackers
• Cracker Jacks
• 100 calorie packs of various products
• Beef or turkey jerky
• Single serve boxes of ready-to-eat cereal
• Raisins and chocolate-covered raisin
• Fig cookies
• Gummy candies made with real juices
• Individual juice drinks (100 percent juice)
• Snack pack pudding
• Jell-O with fruit
• Single-serve packets of low-fat microwave popcorn
• Sugar-free hot chocolate or apple cider packets

Required notice: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase any of these items, using the links, the author will receive a very small percentage of the sale.