Trick or Treat?

This month: trick or treat?

Well, both of course!

What exactly do I mean by that?

What I mean is this: Don’t deprive yourself the delight and decadence of a treat or two (or three) this Halloween, if you’re so inclined. And there’s no need to let food allergies or sensitivities restrict the fun.

But trick yourself and your family into consuming some delectable goodies that won’t leave you wired then tired, bloated, filled with unmet cravings, or nursing a seasonal cold that the sugar binge of the holiday will most definitely encourage.
There are a multitude of gratifying candies and sweets that you can load into the trick-or-treat basket or place in a bowl on your desk at the office to keep you from ingesting the processed candies that appear in abundance this time of year.

So go ahead. . . trick and treat!

Take a look at what’s in our Halloween basket.

Everything listed is gluten, dairy, soy, and refined sugar free unless otherwise noted. Be sure to read ingredients carefully if you’re following a special diet.
(Click on each entry to be taken to on-line ordering information.)

Chocolate Mint Patties

Raw Honey Sticks

Macrobiotic Hard Candies
contain a small amount of barley, so not OK if following a strictly gluten-free diet
[note: butterscotch is my son's favorite, but search 'candy' on the site for other flavors]

Oskri Nut or Seed or Coconut Bars

Caveman Bars
all gluten-free except those flavors containing oats

Gummy Candy

Organic Fruit Leather
(you can find these at your natural grocery store — Kaia is one brand that’s easy to find and even the Cliff Kid twisted fruit is OK)

Xylitol fruity mints

Crunchy Dried Fruit Packs
If you’re willing to spend a little extra indulgence money on your treats, check your health food store for some raw chocolates. Here are our favorites:
Gnosis Chocolates

Love Street Living Foods Chocolates

Lulu’s Chocolates

Righteously Raw Chocolate

For a local favorite (if in PDX), try these!:
Chocolate Truffles from Freshly Wild (available at People’s Food Co-Op)
Even if you don’t eat any sweeteners but stevia, but still crave some chocolate to quell your sweet tooth, you don’t have to be left out of the holiday fun. Contact Leah at Elixia Chocolates. Both her stevia and coconut sugar chocolates are to be savored by a more sophisticated palate.

What’s wrong with standard store-bought candy?

• Unfortunately, a lot. Do you usually consume these or give these to your kids?:
• hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils
• artificial additives
• GMO sugar or corn syrup
• toxic chemicals

Learn more about how sweets can impair the immune system, deplete precious minerals, and affect mental health and balance in my class Sweet Tooth, Bitter Truth available on-line for your home education this winter! Stay tuned to Replenish PDX for more information.

It’s better to stock up on good options now to avoid a handful of Butter Fingers. They can be quite ghoulish. And whatever candy you decide to consume, don’t forget to sit, enjoy, and chew.

Happy Halloween!