What's in Our Bowl ~ Healthy, Allergy-Friendly Trick or Treat Options

Crunchy leaves, the smell of sweet cinnamon and apples and kid's imaginations on the loose in the form of costumes...October is one of the most perfect months.  I have clear memories of trick-or-treating with my siblings.  There was so much to love about it.  Getting to dress-up, be outside at night and people give you things!  Despite growing up in the somewhat typical processed food households of the 1980's we didn't get a lot of treats or candy so it was always exciting that for one night we could.  When I started this website I set out to prove that healthy food can be fun and special and excluding junk food doesn't mean the end of celebration and fun.  I give out treats on Halloween (check out this post from a few years back) but they are always healthier, dye-free items and always include non-food items.   I am really excited about our line-up this year and am also including some other suggestions.

I am also really excited about FARE's (Food Allergy Research & Education) teal pumpkin project!  Please take a moment to check it out and print a teal pumpkin to share in your window if you will have non-food treats.  Last year my girls were so excited to receive a glow stick - it was the only thing they could have...everything else had artificial dye and flavor (which causes them to vomit, break out in a rash and worse).  I usually trade their candy for the items I have here at home and since they don't get candy too often it's always a big treat for them and they have never gotten upset about the fact they have to swap trick or treat candy for what we give out.

Here's what will be in our bowl this year:

Mini Water Bottles

Decorated with please recycle and halloween stickers - my girls loved decorating these. Kid's get thirsty while trick or treating.












Equal Exchange Organic Fair-Trade Dark Chocolates.  

I ordered this kit online and 150 pieces for $24 seems like a lot but I calculated the cost of buying 150 pieces of mini candy bars at Target and it came to over $30.  Also if you send a cute Halloween e-card Equal Exchange will give you a code for free shipping!  Ingredients in the chocolates: *Organic Chocolate Liquor, *Organic Raw Cane Sugar, *Organic Cocoa Butter, *Organic Unrefined Whole Cane Sugar, *Organic Ground Vanilla. Cocoa 55% min. *Fair Trade Ingredient. By weight 100% Fair Trade Content. 





Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops:

I found these at Target but you can also buy them at Whole Food's Market and local Co-ops.  Certified Organic, real fruit extracts, kosher, and no gluten, tree-nuts, peanuts, GMO's, dairy, soy, or artificial colors/dyes.










Colored Pencils

Perfect for all the little artists out there!  I found these at Target but most stores carry colored pencils.










Halloween Erasers

I found these in the Halloween party section of Target.










Angie's Boom Chicka Pop Mini Bags

Ingredients are Popcorn, Sunflower Oil and Sea Salt.    Certified Gluten-Free and Non-GMO.  I found these in the Halloween candy section of Target.

Some more of my favorite ideas:

Make a Jack-o-Lantern Stickers 

Jack-o-Lantern Stickers

Spider Rings

Halloween Pencils (available at most stores)

Coins (I remember getting a little envelope of pennies when I was little, which I thought was the coolest thing ever)

Crayons - Buy a few of the fun color packs and give a crayon or two to each kid.

Sun Cups - Offering nut-free candy produced in a nut-free facility.  Here are the ingredients in the Dark Chocolate Sun Cups (Dark Chocolate (cocoa mass†, sugar, cocoa butter†), Sunflower Seed, Powdered Sugar*, White Chocolate* (sugar*, cocoa butter*†, milk powder*), Cocoa Butter*, Sea Salt. *Organic ingredient. †Rainforest Alliance Certified™.
ALLERGENS: Dairy. Does not contain egg, soy, gluten, peanuts or tree nuts. Our facilities are allergen free of all previous listed ingredients. Look for our Dairy Free Allergen version at the end of the year/beginning of 2015!)

*** 35% on regular sleeves from now till Oct 26th using code SPOOKY14

Sweet Surfs Gummy Bears -   
Made with Organic Fruit Juice, No Artificial Colors or Flavors, Corn Syrup Free, Fortified with Vitamin C, Free of the 10 Most Common Allergens, Made in a Nut-Free Facility, Dairy Free/Casein Free, Soy Free, Gluten Free, Made in the USA, Vegan.

And...
Some more non-food ideas I found at Target in their Halloween party section:
Pirate Eye Patches
Glow Fangs
Skull Rings
and more..