Halloween means we’re planning costumes and trick-or-treat routes, but it’s also time to think about how to reduce our consumption of crummy ingredients.

The easiest way to a healthier Halloween that’s full of fun memories and a few treats – but still free from loads of refined sugars, dyes, and other unwanted ingredients – is to stock your pantry with the right alternatives!

I’m setting a lower-sugar standard for you and your family by sharing my favorite alternative swaps for popular conventional candies. You and your child can still enjoy some treats, but by choosing the right ones, they’ll have less of an impact on blood sugar and beyond.

Below, we’re going to discuss:

1. Cleaner candies with better ingredients (but they still might spike your blood sugar)
2. Cleaner candies with sugar alternatives for less of an affect on blood sugar

1. Cleaner Ingredients, But Still A Spike

You might be surprised to know I’m more lenient over sugar intake on holidays or special celebrations than you’d expect. I’m okay with enjoying the occasional treat, even if it might cause a glucose spike!

But just because we want to enjoy a sweet treat doesn’t mean we need to consume a laundry list of other undesirable ingredients. When it comes to candies, I look for options that have no high fructose corn syrup, less sugar content than conventional candies, and fewer, simpler ingredients. I also choose to stay away from food dyes, GMOs, and gluten. Here are a few brands I lean into for Halloween and beyond:

YumEarth

• Organic ingredients, sweetened with organic cane sugar 
• The No List: GMO, gluten, high fructose corn syrup, artificial dyes, and all other top 9 allergens
• Vegan friendly

Hu Chocolate

• Simple, real ingredients sweetened with organic unrefined coconut sugar
• The No List: refined sugars, soy, gluten, cane sugar, palm oil, sugar alcohols, lecithins, erythritol, emulsifiers
• Paleo friendly

Unreal

• 100% real ingredients, always made with less sugar than the conventional candy and sweetened with organic cane sugar
• The No List: artificial ingredients, gluten, soy, GMO, sugar alcohols
• Vegan friendly

Cleaner Candies for Halloween at the LeVeques

Want to know the exact candies I’m keeping in my pantry for a few sweet treats throughout the month of October as well as for passing out on Halloween night?

• YumEarth Chewys = instead of Starburst 
• YumEarth Lollipops = instead of Dum Dums
• YumEarth Giggles = instead of Skittles
• YumEarth Candy Corns = instead of Brach’s candy corn
• YumEarth Gummy Bears = instead of Haribo gummies
• Unreal Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups = instead of Reese’s 
• Unreal Gems = instead of M&Ms
• Hu Salty Dark Chocolate Bar = instead of Hershey’s
• Deebee’s Organic Dip’Ems = instead of Fun Dip

2. Alternative-Sweetened Candies for a Lesser Blood Sugar Spike

For a true win-win treat experience, we can find candies with clean ingredients that also won’t spike blood sugar. For blood sugar-friendly candies, look for 5 grams of sugar or less per serving. These typically contain sugar alternatives for sweetening.

My favorite options for blood sugar-friendly sweeteners in candy or otherwise include: monk fruit, stevia, or allulose sugar. These sweeteners have little to no impact on blood sugar, and unlike sugar-free sweeteners like Splenda or aspartame, they aren’t linked with additional health risks or thought to stimulate further cravings.

For lower sugar candies with less of a blood sugar spike, consider these:

• Good Chocolate Company* - Sweetened with a unique blend of low- to no-glycemic index sweeteners including erythritol, stevia, and mesquite powder, Good Chocolate Company chocolates have zero sugar and lower net carbs.
• What the LeVeques love: Dark Chocolate with Himalayan & Sea Salt

• Smart Sweets - Only 1-4 grams of sugar per serving, no added sugar or sugar alcohols, and sweetened with high-quality stevia.
• What the LeVeques love: Sweet Fish (Swedish Fish alternative) and SourMelon Bits (Sour Patch Watermelon alternative)

• Raaka - Unroasted dark chocolate from scratch, with traceable, high quality, and transparently traded single-origin cacao. Their “minis” only contain 2g sugar per serving. Vegan, gluten-free, and organic ingredients.
• What the LeVeques love: Dark Chocolate Pink Sea Salt Minis

• Hu - Simple, real ingredients free from cane sugar, sugar alcohols, soy, gluten, and lecithins. Paleo friendly. Two squares of their bars contain under 5g of sugar.
• What the LeVeques love: Dark Chocolate Cashew Butter + Vanilla Bean

• Evolved - Less than 1g sugar per candy “cup.” Lightly sweetened with pure organic monk fruit extract. Free of erythritol and sugar alcohols. Keto-friendly.
• What the LeVeques love: Keto Coconut Butter Cups (Reese’s alternative)

• Doctor John’s Healthy Sweets - Naturally sugar-free candies sweetened with xylitol. Free from gluten, dairy, soy, GMOs, and sugar. *Note that while alcohol sugars are not my favorite, some people do just fine with a Xylitol alternative.
• What the LeVeques love: Large bags are perfect for classroom parties or passing out. 

• ChocZero - No sugar or sugar alcohols. Simple ingredients, sweetened with monk fruit. Keto friendly. *Note, I don’t love that their chocolates contain sunflower lecithin, but the ingredients are still superior to mainstream candies, and I appreciate the keto-friendly aspect for minimal effect on blood sugar.
• What the LeVeques love: They have a great selection of Halloween-themed candy. 

• Lily’s - No added sugar, GMOs, or gluten. Sweetened with stevia. *Again, while I don’t love that some products contain sunflower lecithin and sugar alcohols, Lily’s chocolates are a huge upgrade from conventional candies, and they are blood sugar-friendly.
• What the LeVeques love: Dark Chocolate Chips
  

Final Thoughts + Resources

Lowering your sugar intake and cutting out the crummy ingredients doesn’t mean you need to be candy-free this Halloween. With a little bit of planning, you can stock up on your swaps to enjoy both Halloween treats and better blood sugar balance.

Want to learn more about the importance of blood sugar balance for the whole family (and how I make it easy and effortless with my tried-and-true Fab Four Formula)? I’ve got all the goods you need!

• Be Well Recipes - My site is full of healthy, low/no sugar recipes for everything from snacks to smoothies, dinners to desserts. A few of my favorite blood sugar-friendly treats that can be enjoyed around Halloween and beyond include:
• Three Ingredient Freezer Fudge - Rich, chocolatey, high-protein and low-carb
• Be Well Protein Hot Chocolate - Perfect for after a cool night of trick-or-treating
• Viral Chocolate Protein Lava Cake - 40g of protein in a single-serving, guilt-free cake
• Be Well Protein Powders: In both grass-fed and plant-based varieties, these minimally formulated protein powders are the easiest way to create delicious, quick, blood-sugar friendly smoothies, baked goods, and more. 
• Follow along IRL to see what blood-sugar friendly living looks like!
• Let me teach you: video courses for the Fundamentals, Parenting, and Smoothie School
• Check out my Pinterest page for Healthy Halloween & Sugar Free Fun

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