Yes, Halloween can be healthy—and still be fun
Choosing to keep Halloween healthy and green can feel out of your hands, especially when kids are going door to door, But sustainability and health start at home—and you’ll be surprised by how quickly positive change can spread throughout your neighbourhood.
Homemade treats allow you to go less commercial and GMO, and they don’t have to be boring. The more everyone believes these are treats (because they are), the less likely kids will label you that "healthy house,” skip your home, or have your kids feel like they’re missing out on the tradition.
Low-waste treats are also a great way to invite a conversation about sustainability by leading by example to lower your environmental impact. Whether you have kids or not, it’s great to share your planet-loving goodies with the neighbourhood in an accessible way (plus, avoid the dreaded sugar crash post-holiday).
So let’s grab our reusable bags and get to the treats!
Homemade snacks
Photo by Ksenia Yakovleva on Unsplash
Creepy fruit leather: Fruit leather is packed with natural fruity goodness and is fun for kids to munch on for Halloween season and beyond. Go with strawberry, cherry or raspberry for that creepy feel, or opt for orange or blackberry to stick with Halloween colours. With just three ingredients, and wrapped in non-stick paper, fruit leather checks all of our low-waste and healthy treat boxes.
Ghosts and ghouls cookies: The best part about a basic sugar cookie recipe is that you can substitute ingredients for whatever suits you. Mix in oat milk versus regular milk, add cane sugar or agave in place of sugar, and swap in whole wheat flour for a nutritional boost. Then, just cut and decorate these cookies Halloween-style and serve them with confidence.
Witches’ eyeballs: These peanut butter popcorn balls can be made with GMO-free popcorn kernels, your choice of nut butter (PB or PB-free), your preferred chocolate, and any festive decorations or drizzles that you fancy. We love a tasty DIY recipe easy to throw together.
Howl at the moon (sunflower) cups: Sunflower butter cups are all the rage right now and what makes them an especially great Halloween treat is that they’re nut-free. This recipe has no refined sugar or dairy but maintains all of its deliciousness. They’re easy to pack up and give out to neighbours (or to munch on yourself for days after Halloween).
Eat your veggie chips, my pretty: We all love that house that goes salty to break up the sweet, and you can raise the bar even higher with these homemade veggie chips. Easy to bake, easy to pack, they taste good and they share the veggie love? You’ll be loved by kids and parents alike.
Store-bought but a better solution to candy
For all of you folks who don’t have time to go homemade, no problem. There are so many healthy, organic and/or plastic-free options that you can give out in your neighbourhood if you’re in a rush.
UNREAL Chocolate: These small-batch candies and chocolates come in vegan or non-vegan options, are all fair trade, made with colours from nature—and have no spooky mystery ingredients.
Yum Earth: Free from the top allergens, these candies are organic and safe for any household. They take all of our classic favourites like fruit chews, candy corn and lollipops and omit the processed sugar. With all treats and no tricks, these are an easy choice for Halloween.
Bulk treats
Your local zero-waste store may have some goodies in bulk that you can pick up, whether that be nut mixes, chips or healthy candy. Grab some paper or compostable bags and pre-package them for easy handouts (and make sure to label the nut mixes or ask about allergies).
These options will make your Halloween season fun, creative and healthy. Remember to label all ingredients with homemade treats, pack them up tightly (and sustainably), and explain to parents and guardians what the treat is and why you’ve chosen to go green this Halloween.