I always looked forward to Halloween as a kid! My friends and I had one goal in mind when we were trick-or-treating…to get as much candy as humanly possible! Not only did I bring home a ton of candy after trick-or-treating, but I would also have had a ton of sugar in my classroom at our Halloween party. SOME sugar is fine, but sugar in excess is just not healthy for anyone. Unfortunately, too much sugar leads to inflammation in the body which can cause a whole host of problems. One of the biggest things that too much sugar does to us is it suppresses our immune system. Right now, more than ever, we need to be focused on building a strong immune system.
Don’t worry though! There are ways to have an anti-inflammatory Halloween! I promise.
Homemade Alternatives for Halloween
You can make your own candy that isn’t loaded with sugar, preservatives, or artificial dyes. These aren’t meant to be eaten in excess, but they are a great alternative to have at home for your family or bring to a party.
- Wellness Mama has recipes for homemade chocolate, fruit snacks, and these chocolate mint candies that are delicious and contain real ingredients!
- Weelicious has a fun recipe for Tangerine Pumpkins + Banana Ghosts.
- Danielle Walker from Against All Grain has a recipe for the perfect homemade candy bar! I have made these Seven Layer bars for my family, and everyone loved them!
- Another fun option is to make a jack-o-lantern out of vegetables like this one! I like to use this Tessemae’s Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing for dipping.
Better Options for Prepackaged Candy and Non-Candy for Trick-or-Treating
I would love to be able to hand out a piece of fruit to every trick-or-treater that came to our door, but I think I would have a lot of unhappy ghosts and goblins. Luckily, there are a lot of prepackaged options that are actually pretty healthy and taste good! No one will be missing the corn syrup, dyes, or preservatives all of which lead to inflammation in the body.
- Since peanut allergies are everywhere nowadays and it wouldn’t be Halloween without some sort of chocolate, I LOVE to hand out these Justin’s Organic Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups. They are so good! They are always a huge hit for kids and adults alike.
- Who doesn’t love M&M’S on Halloween? These UNREAL Milk Chocolate Gems are made with colors from nature, and they are alcohol and soy free!
- Another great option for a prepackaged Halloween treat are these Stretch Island Fruit Leathers. This healthier version of a fruit roll-up uses real fruit and skips the corn syrup.
- These Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears get their flavor and color from real fruits and vegetables, and they are gluten free!
- My son eats these Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers regularly. I buy these individually wrapped bags for him, so he feels like he is getting his very own treat. I think it is nice to offer a non-candy option to trick-or-treaters because their buckets will likely be full of sugar!
- Another great non-candy option are these Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP popcorn bags. The popcorn is made with real and simple ingredients, and the popcorn is non-GMO!
- These Tori and Howard Chewie Fruities taste JUST like a Starburst, but there are no artificial flavors or colors. Hooray!
- These YumEarth Organic Lollipops are great for handing out if you get a lot of trick-or-treaters because you get the biggest bang for your buck! They have natural flavors, colors, and are organic. Amazing! As a side note, I have these on hand to give to my boys after they get a haircut because they are always offered a lollipop. They really don’t care which one they get…they just want a lollipop.
Things You Can Do the Day of or Day After Halloween to Help your Body Detox from the Sugar
Whether your Halloween is full of traditional Halloween candy, some of the ideas listed above, or a combination, it is a good idea to gently detox your body afterwards to decrease inflammation.
Below are some ideas for things you can do to help the body detox after eating more sugar than normal:
- Move your body (and try to break a sweat preferably in nature). Take a walk, go for a hike, jump on a trampoline, dance, do yoga, etc. Aim for 20-30 minutes. Movement after a blood sugar spike will help your blood sugar to come down.
- Hydrate. Drink water with some electrolytes to pull water inside your cells to that you actually hydrate our body because too much sugar can dehydrate you.
- Nourish your body. Enjoy a meal with some protein, healthy fat, fiber, and LOTS of greens. A balanced meal will help to keep your cravings for more sugar at bay. The greens will help to detox the liver which gets overburdened with excess sugar.
- Sleep is one of the best things we can do to reset, restore, rejuvenate, and detox especially after eating too much sugar. Also, try not to have any sugar too close to bed as it can disrupt your sleep.
At the end of the day, Halloween is about being together with family, friends, and neighbors. It is so nice that there are healthy alternatives out there so that everyone can enjoy themselves. It is absolutely possible to have an anti-inflammatory Halloween!
Happy Halloween!
