Healthy Halloween: What To Eat Instead of Candy

Halloween is about many things: getting scared at haunted houses, transforming yourself with a badass costume, and, of course, gorging on sweet, sweet candy. It may just be one day of the year, but it's important to stay healthy 365 days of the year. If you have a good fitness routine in place, you won't want to derail your efforts just for the sake of some candy. Instead, check out our guide to a healthy Halloween for snacks that won't knock you off your path to fitness glory. Keep these snacks handy around the house on Halloween to ensure that you stay away from the sweet stuff, especially if you're passing it out to the neighborhood kids. Make sure to pack some goodies in your meal management system as well so you can avoid the cravings no matter where you go. (Every front desk in the world seems to develop a bowl full of candy right when October rolls around!)

1. Candy vs. Trail Mix

Trail mix as opposed to candy seems like a no-brainer, but we've upped the ante for a healthy Halloween. How so? Well, we think you should make your own trail mix, and include different items based on which type of candy is tempting you. If peanut butter cups have got you down, load up your trail mix with unsalted, unroasted peanuts. If jellybeans are more your style, go for dried fruit in your trail mix. If you absolutely must have a bit of chocolate in there, you know the only way: organic dark chocolate that has not been processed with alkali. (Processing with alkali reduces the amount of flavanols in the chocolate, and flavanols are the phytonutrients that help make dark chocolate a healthier option. They help lower blood pressure, improve cognitive function, and even provide our skin with protection against UV rays!)

2. Take 5 vs. Unsalted Pretzels

Sure, you can include pretzels in your trail mix, but they're such a great alternative for a healthy Halloween that we had to give them their own section. Not to mention, they're the stand-out ingredient of Take 5s. But this Halloween, don't take five. Just take one instead, and make it an appropriately portioned bag of pretzels.

3. Starburst vs. Greek yogurt topped with your favorite fruit

There's no denying the allure of fruity Starburst. But to have a healthy Halloween that your teeth will also appreciate, you're forced to deny it. Stay as far as you can from all that sugar you just don't need. Instead, have a cup of Greek yogurt topped with your favorite fruit and take advantage of the yogurt's protein and fruit's natural sugar instead.

4. York Peppermint Patties vs. Peppermint tea

Sure, a drink isn't quite an exact substitute for candy, but for a healthy Halloween, you must get your mint fix elsewhere. Peppermint tea has a number of awesome health benefits too, such as aiding in digestion and boosting the immune system. Some claim that peppermint tea even suppresses your appetite, which is one way to help keep your fingers free of those candy clutches! Add a cup of fat free milk (or unsweetened almond milk, if you prefer) to get a little closer to that York Peppermint Pattie taste.

5. Twizzlers vs. Strawberries

This one seems like kind of a no-brainer, although Twizzlers do come in other flavors. (But who eats any kind besides strawberry?) Stick with the true, natural sugar of strawberries instead to fulfill that fruity craving. Strawberries are also packed with a huge dose of vitamin C: you get half your daily requirement of this essential vitamin with only one serving! Just because it's the season for candy doesn't mean you have to succumb and let your fitness fall to the wayside. While indulging every once in a blue moon is good for your morale, candy's omnipresence during the Halloween season makes it hard to say no over and over again. Stick with our suggestions for a healthy Halloween, and we're sure your body will be thanking you. All these options are easy to pack in a gym backpack, so you have no excuses no matter where that dastardly candy might confront you!