Halloween Candy Tips and Alternatives

It’s that time of year again – in just a couple of days, adorable trick or treaters decked out in their spookiest and most creative costumes will roam door to door looking for sweet treats. The only problem? A whole bunch of them will wake up the next morning with a tummy ache (and likely the start of at least one cavity).

We’re not suggesting you completely boycott handing out candy (or cutting your children off from the sugary treats they collect entirely). Instead, why not practice moderation?

Balance Out The Goodies You Hand Out

Instead of just buying a jumbo bag of chocolate bars, mix up what you’ve got in your trick or treat bowl. Throw in some toys (maybe a pirate eye patch or glittery temporary tattoos) and choose the treats you do include with caution.

Try to avoid anything that’s likely to get stuck in between children’s teeth too easily (a lot of chewy candies like sour patch kids, fuzzy peaches, and watermelon slices can cause some serious dental trouble down the road) and stick to items that aren’t hard enough to break teeth (giant gumballs, jawbreakers, and some lollipops can crack a tooth if they’re bitten into by an overeager kid).

Check out this Business Insider list for some of the healthier Halloween Candy options.

Use It as a Teaching Opportunity

Use Halloween as an opportunity to teach your kids about good dental hygiene. Come up with a reward system – they get to indulge in some of their Halloween spoils so long as they promise to brush and floss right after.

Make sure to follow up with them; if they listened, it means they can have a little bit more candy the following day. If not, then they to prove to you that they can be trusted to take good care of their teeth before having any more.