Halloween has often posed difficult decisions for parents. Do we let our kids wear questionable costumes in the name of a “fun time?” How old is too old for trick-or-treating? Is that 12-foot, $300 skeleton really worth it? (Spoiler: it is) A big one for parents specifically, has become: what are we going to hand out at the door?
There’s a lot of factors that have to be considered when deciding what will fill the bowl on your stoop. Costs of chocolate and other ingredients for candy are at an all-time high. There’s potential food allergies to consider as well as the healthy-vs-candy snack debate. Plus, how much does fun factor in?
Halloween during the Pandemic forced trick-or-treating to evolve. Public safety regulations saw some towns outright cancel Halloween (shudder), while individual treat-givers came up with some innovative solutions like long pipe chutes and ziplines to deliver the goods.
In my town, people put tables with candy at the end of their driveways and then sat on the porch to watch the parade of costumes, a practice that I still do because it allows me to go trick-or-treating with my kids and still give candy out. This year though, I need to really think about what I want to put in that bowl.
The High Cost of Halloween Chocolate
When I went to stock up on a few boxes of candy to absolutely not eat before Halloween and replace on October 30th, I was shocked at the cost. At my local grocery store, boxes of 50-100pcs of Halloween chocolate usually cost between $10-$15. This year, they start at over $20 and go up from there.
According to the Wells-Fargo Agri-Food Institute, the cost of cocoa has nearly doubled since last year due to heavy rainfall in West Africa and Ghana, worsening crop yields and disease among the plants. This led to the global cocoa supply deficit to hit its highest level in decades, driving up costs.
Couple this with the aforementioned $300 giant skeleton decorations, costumes that must be high-end enough to look like the thing your kid wants to dress up as, plus any grown-up parties or commitments you might have and suddenly, Halloween is pretty expensive. Does a healthier treat option mean less cost? Not always, it seems.
Do You Go Healthy At Halloween?
When it comes to Halloween treats, chocolate thankfully isn’t your only option. If you want to stick with candy, there’s always a decent selection of non-chocolate products. But if you’re looking to do something “healthy” like Goldfish crackers, pretzel sticks, granola bars or fruit snacks, these can sometimes be a little more pricey than candy, mainly because they don’t have bulk buying options.
Also, according to a report to Parents.com from industry research firm Tastewise, 60% of over 7200 parents surveyed said that they would prefer nuts or fruit over candy. Handing out healthy snacks is appreciated, but let’s be honest: the reality is that for most kids, those snacks go into the garbage, or if you’re lucky a school lunch.
Even in the prehistoric times when I was a kid there were always a handful of houses that dropped an apple or box of raisins into my plastic pumpkin. I’m sure that they meant well and wanted to provide a healthy alternative, but I can swear on a stack of Hershey bars that I never ate one of them. I was more likely to work through a box of candy “cigarette” sticks than I was an Apple.
Halloween Secret: They Don’t Need To Eat Everything That Night
For parents who don’t want to risk the healthier stuff getting thrown out in favor of the piles and piles of candy, it’s important to remember that Halloween candy is just like any other candy. In moderation it’s great, but too much isn’t. If parents are dutiful with how the collected sugarbombs are consumed, then it’s a lot easier to make the candy last and work a few healthy treats in.
People are often surprised when they come to our house in late November and still see Halloween candy ready for the chomping. It’s because we set a limit; kids are allowed 5 pieces of candy on Halloween and from there, they are allowed 2-3 a day. This can be in their school lunch, or for dessert or a snack if they need it. This not only curtails the inevitable sugar OD’s and crashes, but it allows space to fit in some healthier things. For example, if they want a chocolate bar, they can have it along with a few baby carrots.
Halloween is a time of year that’s about fun and community. It’s a time of year when people open their doors and interact with each other in ways that have become rare these days. The bottom line is that no matter what you give out on the Spookiest NIght of The Year, as long as it’s done with fun and friendship in mind, Halloween will be a success.
