Fody’s Guide to Enjoying Gut-Healthy Halloween Treats

Halloween is in the air, but for people with sensitive stomachs, the consequences of eating too much candy can be spookier than ghosts and ghouls. Thankfully, when you’re taking your little ones trick-or-treating this season, you don’t have to choose between letting them enjoy their sweets and making sure they have a healthy gut. Today, we’re bringing you some strategies for the whole family to enjoy gut-healthy Halloween treats.

Understand What’s In That Pillowcase!

Let’s get straight to the good news: yes, people with sensitive stomachs can enjoy traditional store-bought Halloween candy. Whether you’re watching sugar intake or someone in your family lives with IBS, enjoying Halloween candy is less about the candy itself and more about how much of it gets eaten. To most people’s surprise, white granulated sugar is not high-FODMAP in quantities of less than 50 grams. However, watch out for alternative and artificial sweeteners, including high-fructose corn syrup, xylitol and fructose. 

Our tip for enjoying sweets from the store: check the ingredients and do your research! To learn more about identifying gut-healthy Halloween treats hiding in plain sight, check out Fody’s shortlist of spookiest sweeteners, and when in doubt, use your Monash university app. Lastly, always be aware of your body’s reactions, and always listen to your gut – literally!

Make Gut-Friendly Switches And Use Healthy Strategies 

If you’re managing Halloween candy for the little trick-or-treaters in your house (or for yourself), you may dread the idea of taking away their hard-earned treats. Luckily, there are many strategies you can implement to involve kids in understanding their candy consumption and make it fun! Healthy strategies to manage Halloween candy include:

Triaging on Halloween 

Ready to keep the fun going? You can practice triaging Halloween candy with your kids as soon as they get home. Beyond allowing you to conduct a safety check on candy, this practice is an opportunity to teach your child to think critically about food and understand their own tastes.

Reduce Temptation (For Everyone!)

For those ok-in-small-portions Halloween treats, the best rule to use is “out of sight, out of mind!” Avoid keeping Halloween candy where it’s easy to mindlessly snack on, opting instead to save it for special occasions–and always as a complement to a balanced diet. 

Switch It Up!

Want to help your kids enjoy trick-or-treating without inflammatory repercussions? Let your kids “trade in” less nutritious candy in exchange for gut-healthy Halloween treats (keep reading!) or fun experiences. This process allows them to have the best of both worlds, while learning about nutrition and gut health in the process.

Make Your Own Gut-Healthy Halloween Treats

Hosting a Halloween party or a scary movie night? Looking for some unique Halloween sweets you can whip up in your own kitchen, worry-free? These gut-healthy Halloween treats are a guaranteed gift and show-stopping party snack that your family will love!

Fody’s Pumpkin Spice Cake 

Opt for seasonal rather than spooky with this easy pumpkin spice cake. Warm, rich and oh-so-cozy, this cake beats any old bowl of fun-sized candy!

Fody’s Low-FODMAP Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Get some protein into your Halloween snacking with these low-FODMAP Halloween treats. Our tip? Use your imagination and the red icing drizzle to turn these sweets into props worthy of a haunted house!

Fody’s Monster Rice Krispie Treats 

Delight the little and not-so-little ones with these adorable monster treats. From going wild with the decorating to sinking your teeth into them, these colorful critters are so good you’ll be making them year-round!

Still craving DIY Halloween sweets? Check out Fody’s list of wicked Halloween treats, and remember: taking care of your gut doesn’t mean missing out! Halloween can still be spooktacular fun without irritating your stomach–all you need is information, imagination, and a healthy sense of fun.

To discover more great gut-friendly Halloween treats, check out our recipes, and shop our products for bloat-free foods you’ll love. From all of us at Fody, Happy Halloween!