This Halloween, when shopping for candy, why not ditch the fun size bars for something really fun without breaking the bank?

To say that I have a sweet tooth would be similar to suggesting that fish like to get wet. I still have strong childhood memories of exactly which houses gave out the best treats at Halloween each year. I also remember selecting my favorite bags of fun-sized goodies in the hopes that there would be plenty of leftovers. We always had candy at home, so I ate it in “moderation.” Now that I’m an adult and I battle my moonlight cravings each night, I’m beginning to wonder if having candy every day might have been a terrible habit to start. Choosing what to serve for Halloween is a huge struggle for me for a few reasons, so we’re reinvigorating the Holiday with our own version of black magic. I would love to go back to the days when all we had to fear in our candy was a razor blade because I’m beginning to worry that all the commercial candies are just as detrimental on a different level. Without getting into too many details about why we don’t want to hand out GMOs or petroleum based products or complaining about the environmental impact of all those tiny wrappers, I’ll just say that Halloween is an absolute nightmare for the Eco friendly crowd. We all want our kids to have a good time, but there is a lot of room for improvement for the next generation.

Clearly our Halloween plans won’t work for every family. What I’m offering isn’t a guide for how to celebrate, but an inspiration to think about what really makes a great fright night. Firstly, my husband hides in the yard and scares the crap out of the (older) kids in the neighborhood. We all know that a good hayride is a bigger thrill than any fun-size Twix bar, so I think it’s awesome that he’s taking the time and effort to put on an old fashioned scare-fest. Next, we are channeling our inner Addams Family Values for inspiration. Why buy new costumes and decorations every year when the classics work so well? There’s no one more Eco-conscious than the friendly neighborhood witch, so we are gathering our incantation ingredients and brewing a cauldron of apple cider. That’s right folks, you can create real, live fog with an actual edible tonic (ahem, Mr. Eco Incognito.) I’m not worried if our neighbors think we’re trying to poison their kids, that just means there will be more cider for me!

But the real question is, “What can I put in the candy bowl that won’t cause any grumbles and might actually shock with a pleasant surprise?” Here are my suggestions for the top, mostly organic, Halloween treats to delight any kid. I’ll take all the guesswork out of the Halloween treat shopping for you so that you can practice your cackle instead, my pretty.

Chocolate Halloween Candy Alternatives

• Unreal
• Luna Bar
• Larabar
• Clif Bar
• GoMacro Bar

Sugar Candy without High Fructose Corn Syrup

• Honey sticks (Bonus points for local honey)
• Dum dums
• Dang! Toasted Coconut Chips (The name says it all. Dang, these are good.)

Food

• Quinn Popcorn
• Mira’s Granola (Available at Kimberton Whole Foods)
• Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop kettle corn
• Cascadian Farms Granola
• Pretzels
• Way Better chips
• Brad’s Organic Vampire Crunch

Non-food

• Beeswax candle
• Bamboo toothbrush
• Soap (Dr. Bronner’s or Ellen April) Cut a bar into trial-sized pieces and tie with a ribbon. Include a potion recipe if you are so inclined.
• Book- Adventure, mythology, or witchcraft related
• People Towel (Reusable paper towel alternative)

Local goodies from Chester County

If you are lucky enough to live in Chester County, we have an amazing opportunity to support our local food producers at the Artisan’s Exchange. On Saturday, October 19, visit the market in West Chester to fill your basket with perfect, single-serving, wrapped treats that are made locally with freshly sourced ingredients. Don’t be intimidated by the prices! You can easily fill a whole bowl for under $50 if you diversify with filler items like local honey sticks (just $3 for 10.) Here are a few of my favorites:

• Sally B’s Munch Bars
• Rawsome Fudge
• Basic Batters Cookies
• Waffatopia
• Mojo’s Pop Co.
• Local Beef Jerky sticks

No matter what you give for Halloween, serve it with a smile. Stay safe and have fun. Happy haunting everyone!

This post was originally published on Eco-Incognito.

This blog is a part of the MomsRising and CSPI #HealthyHalloween Blog Carnival