🍫 Trick or Truth? What’s Really in Your Halloween Candy

Remember when Halloween candy was just… candy? You’d dump your pillowcase on the floor, trade with your friends, and maybe sneak a few pieces before bed. These days, the wrappers look the same — but what’s inside isn’t quite what it used to be.

👀 So What’s Changed?

A lot, actually.

• Artificial dyes like Red 40 and Yellow 5 still pop up in tons of treats. They make candy bright, but not exactly better.

• High-fructose corn syrup took over for real sugar, giving us extra sweetness and extra inflammation.

• Hydrogenated oils and emulsifiers help candy last longer on shelves… which might be the only thing they’re helping.

• And those “natural flavors”? Let’s just say they’re not always from anything found in nature.

🌿 The Sweet Side

The good news: better candy exists! More families (and brands) are rethinking what “treat” means. Look for:

• Chocolate made with real cocoa and organic cane sugar

• Colors that come from plants, not petroleum

• Ingredient lists you can actually pronounce

• Companies that care about how and where their ingredients are sourced

🕸️ Have a “Better” Boo

You don’t have to ditch candy altogether. A healthier Halloween can still be delicious:

• Stock your bowl with organic lollipops, fruit chews, or dark chocolate minis

• Eat a real meal before trick-or-treating so no one goes candy-crazy

• Get moving — all that walking counts as cardio!

• Use it as a chance to teach your kids (and yourself) how to read labels and spot the good stuff

Because Halloween should be fun — not filled with mystery ingredients you can’t pronounce. The best treat is knowing what’s in your sweets.

🎃 Root and Greens — keeping it real, one piece of candy at a time.