As a mom to an almost-3-year-old, I have certainly become more involved with Halloween in terms of putting on what might resemble a costume. But with regard to passing out candy, that is something I have always enjoyed.
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t Parents love to bring their kids to my house. You can actually see them mouth “thank you” to me when they see the offerings, and for good reason.
t These treats are healthy, easy to find and are the perfect match-up to more conventional offerings, and they just so happen to be gluten free.
t Besides being a celebration of ghosts and goblins, Halloween can be even scarier for parents of kids with allergies. Sorting through their kids’ pillowcases or buckets full of candies and chocolates is inevitable. But, if you are looking for treats that everyone (including your own kids) will love and can share, here are my top five spooktacular gluten-free treats.
1. Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups
t This Halloween, enjoy the classic peanut butter cup favorite guilt free with a delicious, more premium option in your trick-or-treat bag. Justin’s 100 percent organic peanut butter cups are made with Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa and Justin’s organic peanut butter for a delicious indulgence. The peanut butter cups are available in milk and dark chocolate and now in a new white chocolate (yummy!).
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2. Popcorn, Indiana Kettlecorn
t Give the ghouls and goblins a better-for-you treat that they won’t want to toss with Popcorn, Indiana’s single-serving classic kettle corn. Boasting big flavor and a small amount of fat and calories, these poppable snack-size bags are an All Hallow’s Eve delight.
t I like to compare this treat to Cracker Jacks.
- Popcorn, Indiana Kettlecorn has four ingredients: popcorn, sugar, canola oil and salt.
- The Cracker Jacks kettle corn flavor: sugar, popcorn, canola oil, corn syrup, salt, soy lecithin, caramel color and natural flavors.
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3. Annie’s Fruit Snacks
t If your kids love the sweet taste of fruit and the texture of a gummy candy, then Annie’s Halloween Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks are a perfect fit. Made with real fruit juice and without high-fructose corn syrup, you can feel good about passing this treat out on Halloween. The Berry Patch flavor is reminiscent of other fruit-flavored treats without the artificial colors and ingredients. Each box contains 15 individually-wrapped pouches perfect for trick or treaters as well as your kids’ lunch boxes.
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4. Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar
t Parents can make Halloween a little better by swapping sugar-laden candy treats with Pirate’s Booty, a deliciously baked snack that kids love and moms can feel good about adding to the trick-or-treat bag. Compared to a one-ounce serving of fried chips and traditional Halloween candy, Pirate’s Booty has less fat and fewer calories as well as zero grams of sugar. The bonus: Pirate’s Booty is made without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and it is gluten, peanut and tree-nut free. Halloween-themed 12-packs of Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar are available at stores nationwide and are easy to pass out to trick or treaters this Halloween.
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5. KIND Healthy Grains Bars
t These chewy-with-a-crunch granola bars are not only gluten free (very uncommon and difficult for parents to find), but are non-GMO as well. Each bar is made with 100 percent whole grains (gluten-free oats, millet, quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat), making them a delicious way to sneak super grains into your kids’ diet. My favorite is Dark Chocolate Chunk.
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t Thank you to Justin’s for sending samples of their delicious peanut butter cups! I will be sharing them with trick or treaters this year and may sneak a few in before then.
tPhoto credit: Credit: LWA/Dann Tardif/Getty Images
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