Halloween is near and the fun festivities begin once October hits! The fun begins with decorating one’s house, finding the right costumes for you and your family, and choosing what you will give out to all of the trick-or-treaters on the big night. You are not alone in celebrating the events of this fun-filled and spooky season because 179 million Americans celebrate Halloween. Of those 179 million, 95% reported that they will purchase candy both for themselves and to share. Americans spend roughly 2.7 billion dollars on candy for Halloween. Instead of being the house that gives out the same candy as everyone else, you can set yourself apart by offering healthy candy alternatives on October 31st. Candy can wreak havoc on your children’s teeth (and on your own!) and it can be rather unhealthy.
If you need a family dentist in Irvine after the spookiest, sugar-filled night of the year, reach out to OC Dental Specialists!
Best Candy Alternatives for a Healthy Halloween
- Glow Sticks: This is a two-fold benefit to traditional candy. First, it’s a fun non-edible alternative to candy. Second, it helps keep children safer as it increases visibility as they walk around the neighborhood. Children are most at risk of being hit by a car on Halloween night, so this is a great alternative to increase safety and ensure everyone has a great night.
- Honey: There are a number of fun honey packets that you can hand out on Halloween night. You can add a spooky sticker or tie on something Halloween-related to be sure it goes with the festivities. Some evidence even shows that consuming raw honey before bed can help induce tryptophan which helps people fall asleep. Double bonus yet again!
- Organic Juice Boxes: While juice still contains sugar, you can find some organic juice without added sugar to hand out. This is also great as many of the trick-or-treaters will be walking around for hours and may get thirsty. This is a great treat to offer because they can use it to stay hydrated as they go from door-to-door.
- Natural Fruit Leather: These are great and still very tasty! There are a number of options for natural fruit leather that are both organic and without added sugar. The lack of artificial flavors does not make these any less tasty.
- Bubbles: Depending on the age of the trick-or-treaters, bubbles are a great handout. As with the organic juice boxes, be sure and add a little fun to the bubble container by following a Halloween theme.
- Slime: Slime is all the rage these days with the younger ones! Make a large batch and separate the slime into festive containers. The ingredients are fairly inexpensive and the kids will have a lot of fun playing with it after the big night.
- Hot Cocoa or Apple Cider: You can hand out organic hot cocoa or apple cider packets (be sure to check the sugar content!). Or, you can prepare organic hot cocoa or apple cider and hand it out. The latter alternative is likely better for more intimate parties, or if you know all of the trick-or-treaters coming to your door.
Halloween is one of the most memorable holidays for children as they get to dress up and go trick-or-treating! Providing healthy alternatives to candy can be a fun change to your usual Halloween celebration tradition.
Irvine Dentist
After the festivities are over and your children have consumed their share of the candy from that night, healthy or unhealthy, it’s a great time to schedule their regular dental checkup. O.C. Dental Specialists is located in Irvine and provides comprehensive dental care all in one location. No matter what your dental needs are, O.C. Dental Specialists provides general and cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, and pediatrics. The mission of O.C. Dental Specialists is to make a lasting and positive impact on every patient they serve. The team of medical professionals at O.C. Dental Specialists are the best and brightest in the area. Choosing O.C. Dental Specialists for your dental needs is an investment in your long-term dental health.