Halloween is a frightening day… for real foodies, especially.

All of those GMO ingredients and artificial colors and refined sugars!? Just the thought makes me want to crawl under my bed and hide until it’s over!

But in all seriousness… this day does pose quite the dilemma for the health-conscious.

Healthier Halloween Candy Guide to the rescue!

Are these candies healthy? Oh heck no! They’re still empty calories and filled with sugar. But are they healthier? YES! They are organic which means they do not contain the scary GMO ingredients or artificial colors with which most regular candies are filled.

I don’t yet have children but wonder what I’ll do on Halloween. Of course I’m going to let them trick-or-treat with their friends. But once the candy is home, I think I’ll try to do a little switcheroo bargaining with them and swap out the candy they’ve collected with some of the healthier candies below.

As for all of those little monsters knocking at my door in the meantime: this year I bought the 5 pound bag of YumEarth organic lollipops listed below. This is 325 lollipops! So not only is it a great deal, but I’m happy knowing my money went to support a company whose values parallel my own and that the kids will have a few less GMOs and artificial colors in their bags.

Organic alternatives to kids’ favorites:

Starburst fruit chews ⇒ TruJoy Sweets Fruit Chews (pack of 12, 50+ pieces per pack)

Sour candies ⇒ YumEarth Organic Super Sour Lollipops (pack of 6, 15 pieces per pack)

Lollipops ⇒ YumEarth Organic Lollipops (5 Pound Bag, ~325 lollipops)

Tootsie Rolls ⇒ TruJoy Sweets Organic Choco Chews (pack of 12, ~15 pieces per pack)

Fruit-flavored gummy candies ⇒ Annie’s Homegrown Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks

Chocolate peanut butter cups ⇒ Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (pack of 30)

Milk chocolate bars ⇒ Endangered Species Bug Bites, Organic Milk Chocolate (pack of 64)

Happy Halloween!