Halloween 2025: 5 sugary treats to avoid, especially for children

A few more sleeps and Halloween is here! Although Halloween has had the tradition, laced with horror — the annual celebration, where people dress up as they like, is also the time for pumpkin spice, tricks, treats, and everything nice!

Although Halloween’ origins trace back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, a time when people believed the boundary between the living and the dead blurred — hence the horror theme — modern Halloween includes more secular traditions like parties and carving jack-o'-lanterns, alongside its religious roots as the eve of the Christian feast of All Saints' Day.

Now, when there’s a party in the picture, there shall be delicious food to celebrate the occasion with! And since Halloween is all about trick-or-treating, sweet nothings are a must, especially for kids!

And there comes the dilemma!

Now, as it is Halloween, kids assemble and go on a spiral of sugary treats, while parents face the music — is it okay to let them indulge in those sweet treats so much, even if it’s “just one day?” Because sugary treats aren’t damaging only to oral health, they trigger blood-sugar spikes, leading to energy crashes, and contribute over time to obesity, liver, and heart disease

So, this year, it’s worth being more selective about the sweet treats. It’s worth being more particular about the candies that are to be canceled strictly, and what can replace them. Ready to open the swapping jar?

Why avoid: Although it’s a crowd puller, black licorice contains glycyrrhizin, which in high amounts can mimic adrenal hormones, disrupt fluid and electrolyte balance, and raise blood pressure. For children, the risk may be lower in a single dose, but overconsumption is not ideal at all.

Swap with: Instead of black-licorice sweets, offer the kids a small portion of dark chocolate squares (which melt easily and contain less sugar), or individually wrapped dried fruit chips (e.g., apple or mango) with no added sugar.

Why avoid: As the name suggests, these treats are highly acidic (sometimes pH ~2.3) and contain large amounts of sugar and citric acid, which can erode tooth enamel, irritate the stomach lining, and lead to rapid sugar spikes.

Swap with: Want something tangy still? Pick mini yogurt-covered raisins or lightly sweetened popcorn (salted or lightly flavored), which offer a satisfying taste without the enamel-attacking acidity.

Why avoid: They might look tempting, but many oversized bars pack in sugar, fat, and calories, making it easy for a child’s candy consumption to overshoot safe levels and contribute to excess energy intake.

Swap with: Instead of opting for large bars, choose fun-size dark chocolate bars (smaller portion size helps control sugar), or small cardboard boxes of raisins plus a cheese stick for protein and sweetness.

Why avoid: Gummies have it in them to get kids addicted! But candies that stick to teeth or linger in the mouth increase exposure of enamel to sugar and bacterial attack, raising the risk of cavities. Sticky sweets also tempt children to keep chewing or snacking longer. So, gummies = red flag.

Swap with: Ditch the sticky, chewy treats. Instead, opt for rice-cake mini rounds topped with a thin layer of nut butter and banana slices, or apple slices dipped in a smear of peanut butter — both sweet, satisfying, and less clingy.

Why avoid: Remember how Diet Coke and Zero Coke turned out to be worse than regular Coke? The same goes for candies. Some candies may use large amounts of artificial colorings (Red 40, etc.) or contain sugar-free substitutes that can trigger gastrointestinal distress in children. Plus, artificial additives add little nutritional value. In short, there’s only harm in gobbling up such candies.

Swap with: Swap the so-called “sugar-free” bits with homemade trail-mix bags made with unsalted nuts, whole-grain cereal bits, and small dark-chocolate chips (or raisins) – they’re festive-looking, fun to eat, and far less processed.