Halloween season has arrived, and if you're a parent feeling overwhelmed in the candy aisle, you're hardly alone. Newcomers like low-sugar gummies and keto chocolate bars have joined the classics — but is "healthy candy" any better for kids than good old KitKats and Reese's?
I'm a registered dietitian, and I think it's important to remember that labels like "low-sugar" and "low-calorie" aren't necessarily synonymous with "healthy."
Here's how I recommend approaching the "healthy candy" trend this Halloween.
What's in healthy candy?
Every product has a different formulation, but ingredients commonly found in "healthy candies" include:
Sugar substitutes
These include artificial sweeteners (such as sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin), natural sweeteners (like stevia and monk fruit extracts), sugar alcohols, and alternative sweeteners like allulose and isomalto-oligosaccharides (or IMO).
Despite their name, sugar alcohols like xylitol and erythritol don't contain any ethanol – the type of alcohol found in booze – and therefore can be consumed by youngsters.
Functional fibers
Functional fibers, such as soluble corn fiber or chicory root fiber, are often added to increase the fiber content of candy and improve its texture.[1]
That's all well and good, but just because a product's high in fiber doesn't change the fact that it still tastes ultra-sweet, says Nicole Avena, Ph.D. Plus, your little one should ideally get their dietary fiber from whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
Carnauba wax
Canuba wax is primarily used to improve the texture and finish of candies.[2]
Is "healthy candy" safe for kids?
The sugar substitutes used in these products haven't been studied in kids under 2 years old,[3] so I would definitely recommend avoiding them in infants and young toddlers.
The Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics says sugar substitutes are safe for older kids within the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) daily limits — and a 40-pound child would need to drink four diet sodas per day to hit that threshold.
While this may technically be safe, I'm of the mind that kids are better off avoiding even a fraction of that amount. For one thing, sugar substitutes may set kids up to crave ultra-sweet foods. After all, some of these ingredients taste 20,000 times sweeter than regular old table sugar. (Yes, you read that right.)
"Healthy candy made with sugar substitutes can still activate the brain's reward system and make kids crave more and more sweets," Dr. Avena says. "They may save your child a hundred calories here or there, but they'll still drive them to want to overeat."
It's also worth considering how your child may feel if they're only offered low-sugar candy at Halloween. Will they eat that much more of it because Mom called it "healthy"? Will they feel restricted or different next to friends who are given regular candy? Offering these options may send the wrong message and imply they must watch their weight.
The one time that I might recommend these "healthy candies" is if you have a child with a metabolic condition like type 2 diabetes. That's because these new options may help keep their blood sugar levels more stable than "regular" candy can (though more research is needed to determine whether this is actually true).
If your child has been diagnosed with diabetes and is working on managing their blood sugars, consider offering them lower-sugar treats made from natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit extract, which, unlike artificial sweeteners, have not yet been associated with adverse changes to the gut microbiome. And even with these sugar-free options, I'd encourage the same type of moderation as with regular, sugar-filled treats. This is because the data on exactly how artificial sweeteners impact kids' health over time remains limited.
You can try to help your child adopt a balanced approach to sweets this Halloween with the tips below:
- Start with a well-rounded meal. "I personally try to get a good protein-rich meal in my kids' system before the trick-or-treating starts to mitigate the blood sugar spike a little bit," says Lily Nichols, R.D., C.D.E. For example, you could serve up combos like turkey meatballs with cooked broccoli and avocado or red lentil pasta with chicken sausage and sauteed spinach. Eating protein and high-fiber fruits and veggies before sweets can help prevent large fluctuations in your little one's blood sugar levels — and subsequent cranky episodes and crashes.
- Ask your kids how they feel. Encourage your kids to check in with themselves after they've eaten their fill of candy. If they complain of fatigue or tummy aches, consider mirroring that sentiment by saying something like, "I feel that way when I have too much candy." "The idea is not to make candy off limits, but to help them drive mindful eating connections on their own," Nichols says.
- Watch your language. Do your best to avoid engaging in negative food or body talk around your kids, even if it's about your own choices rather than theirs. Hearing Mom call herself "bad" for eating Halloween candy can have lasting effects on youngsters' relationship with food and body image.
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