Enjoy a Green Halloween

Healthy treats and costumes, without any tricks

In this article:
Organic Halloween Treats
Tales from the Cosmetologist
Make-up Madness
Make-up Alternatives
Vinyl Unmasked

While Halloween certainly isn't the healthiest of holidays, its negative impact on the environment and on kids can be minimized if we think organic and make informed decisions when purchasing make-up and masks.

From The Green Guide

For children, Halloween is one of the most thrilling days of the year—chock full of goblins, ghouls, witches, and all manner of sweet confections. But by the time the masks come off, the over-indulgences of the day may well have taken a toll on your kids—and on Mother Earth. This year, why not take a few small steps toward ensuring a healthier, greener Halloween for all?

Organic Halloween Treats

Consider taking the environmentally friendly step of offering organic treats to the fearsome creatures that come knocking at your door. Rest assured, certified organic products won't leave your pocketbook as empty as a ghost town. Most are available now at natural foods supermarkets or may be ordered (or sourced) online. And never fear: they all come safely wrapped.

1. Chocolate. Several bite-sized options have king-sized kid appeal:
   
   
   • Bug Bites: small organic squares from Endangered Species Chocolates in milk or dark chocolate. Each square contains one of 48 different endangered species trading cards, and 10 percent of profits go to animal and conservation causes.
     
     
   • Exquisite Swiss Dark Chocolate: Fair Trade sells organic, individually wrapped dark chocolate from Equal Exchange. You'll get 42 pieces to a bag.
     
     
   • Rapunzel Lady Bug Truffles: Rapunzel offers small ladybugs, complete with legs that contain hazelnut truffles. (Caution: some kids are allergic to nuts, so check before handing them out.)
   
   
   
2. Cookies. Barbara's Bakery offers carry bags of organic animal cookies, in chocolate chip, oatmeal wheat-free, vanilla, and vanilla-fruit-juice-sweetened. The website offers online purchasing.
   
   
3. Popcorn. Hand out individual microwave popcorn packs from Newman's Own Organics Pop's Corn.
   
   
4. Hard Candies. Organic Candy Company sells bags of organic Sour Fruits Hard Candies in cherry, lemon, pineapple, and orange. The website offers online purchasing.
   
   
5. Lollipops. Candy Tree sells bags of seven lollipops in organic orange and organic lemon flavors. The website offers online purchasing.
   
   College Farm Organic Naturepops are available in Citrus Blast, Tropical Treat, Cheery Cherry and Wild Berry.
   
   
6. Snack Bars. Any number of individually-wrapped organic options exist:
   
   
   • Earth's Best makes organic Whole Grain Bars for babies, just the right size for a Halloween tidbit, in Apple Blueberry, Peach Banana, Pear Raspberry, and Carrot Raisin. There's a retail directory available on their website.
     
     
   • New England Natural Bakers offers organic Save the Forest Cereal and Trail Mix Bars, in a variety of flavors. Ten percent of profits goes to environmental and social causes.
     
     
   • Oskri Organics offers organic Sesame Bars and Coconut Bars in various flavors (sesame flavors include dates, fennel, molasses, and cumin; coconut flavors include strawberry, pineapple, almond, and mango). The website offers an online store.
   
   
7. Fruit Leather. Organic chewy fruit is available from Stretch Island in apple, grape, raspberry, strawberry, mango, cherry apricot, tropical, and blackberry. The website offers an online store.
   
   
8. Beverage Boxes. Knudsen, and Santa Cruz Organic both offer small juice boxes for kids; EdenSoy offers small boxes of soy drinks (original, carob, and vanilla flavors). Edensoy has an online store. The Whole Kids line at Whole Foods Markets includes small boxes of organic juices and soy drinks.
   
   
9. Gummi Bears. Let's Do Organic! sells Classic, Jelly and Super Sour vegan gummy bears. Offered in four individual packets per box. The website offers an online store.

Also keep these options in mind:

• Organic Raisins. Earthbound Farm sells their organic Thompson Seedless Raisins in handy snack packs, just right for kids. Pavich Raisins are available in individual small boxes but are not sealed.
  
  
• Honey Sticks. Very little organic honey is currently available, but Stash Tea, a maker of organic teas, makes delicious, naturally-flavored honey sticks. The website offers an online store.
  
  
• Kettle Brand Potato Chips and Potato Crisps. Kettle Brand uses no GMO ingredients in their Lightly Salted flavors, and non-GMO potatoes in their other products. Small, one and two-ounce bags are available at delis, health food stores, and from online vendors listed at the Kettle Foods website.
  
  
• Fruit: The Real Thing, if only for around the house. There is nothing better than this season's local organic apple even if your face is painted green and your hair stands two feet above your head. Also, dried fruits are always a winner.