With the flu season upon us — as well as the COVID-19 global pandemic — families might be wondering how to celebrate Halloween without spreading germs. If you’re in a location where Trick-or-Treating or gatherings are possible, here’s how to have a pleasant but healthy celebration.

Staying Germ-Free on Halloween

• Stay Close to Home

  Ultimately, the best way to prevent virus or germ transmission is to stay home. If you have children who are excited about trick-or-treating, but you need to opt out of visiting your neighbors’ homes, consider fun, festive activities — like Halloween scavenger hunts around your home, pumpkin carving, a scary movie night, or a virtual costume contest with distant family.

• Embrace the Outdoors

  Because the CDC recommends outdoor activities over indoor activities, consider alternatives to house parties, such as visiting a pumpkin patch, walking through a decorated haunted forest, or seeing family at a socially distant backyard gathering.

• Give Everyone Space

  If you must go trick-or-treating in public, be sure that your family is six feet or away from other families, and that you avoid overcrowded homes, haunted houses, or streets. This protects you from germs or viruses while also thoughtfully protecting others incase you’re carrying something asymptomatically.

• Respect Others' Choices

  Remember that you might be more immune to germs or illnesses than others, such as the elderly or those with underlying medical conditions. If homes have their lights off, doors closed, and do not seem inviting of trick-or-treaters, skip to the next home.. Respect that these families might be making a conscious health decision to opt out of trick-or-treating this Halloween.

• Sanitize When Possible

  Because many children will be reaching into the same pots of candy all night, be sure your family washes their hands whenever possible to kill any bacteria. If you cannot get to soap and water for parts of the evening, consider using a hand sanitizer — ideally without harmful chemicals.

• Incorporate Masks into Costumes

  If you go to a public area or party, you should always have a mask. Luckily, many people are already wearing face coverings or masks on Halloween. Consider creative ways to work your mask or PPE into your costume and further stunt transmission of germs.

If you’re afraid of bugs but love candy corn, one common candy ingredient might give you a spook this Halloween.

What is Confectioner's Glaze?

Confectioner's glaze, also known as pharmaceutical glaze, is used by numerous candy companies to add a shiny, smooth finish on their products.

It's made using shellac, but shellac—or “beetle juice,” as ABC News calls it—is made of bug secretions.

• What is Shellac?

  After feeding on tree sap, the female lac bug secretes a substance called lac to protect her soon-to-hatch eggs.

  Often found and collected in forests of India or Thailand, the lac later hardens to create a flaky shellac.

  It is then dissolved in ethanol, an alcohol fuel distilled from plant materials. The process leads to the creation of glaze and shellac polish.

  Uses for Shellac

  The glaze is used to enhance shine of apples, jelly beans, and other hard foods.

  Shellac-based sprays are also used to coat pills, polish fingernails, and varnish wood.

• Is Confectioner's Glaze Safe?

  According to the Food and Drug Administration, the glaze is a “non-nutritive substance,” or a substance that does not contribute negatively or positively to nutrition.

  However, it is “generally recognized as safe” by the administration. (The FDA also allows a certain amount of insect fragments into the foods we eat.)

• Is Confectioner's Glaze Vegan?

  No. Because shellac is hardened lac bug secretions, products containing it are not considered vegan.

  With worries that shellac processes may lead to bugs incidentally getting dissolved into ethanol, some vegetarian and vegan bloggers have encouraged the avoidance of food products with the glaze.

Other Halloween Ingredients to Avoid

Although the glaze may not be associated with direct nutrition issues, other ingredients in your Halloween bag might be.

• Corn Syrup

  Corn syrup, often used for extra flavoring, has been linked to the United States’ diabetes epidemic.

• Added Sugars

  Many treats are also packed with added sugars linked to obesity.

You should check our list of healthy sugar alternatives to learn about healthy sweeteners that may appear in your kids' treats.

Halloween is here! Last year, Fortune magazine predicted that Americans would be spending $6.9 billion, or—on average—$74 each on Halloween-related purchases. 

This year, you can save money by creating your own entertainment, while still promoting healthy habits. Try these easy and affordable Halloween party ideas.

1. Go all natural with this year’s Halloween decorations with the help of fall-friendly crops. Try creating Halloween centerpieces out of pumpkins, acorns, or Indian corn to add an essence of orange and seasonal colors to each room. This also is a great strategy for a Thanksgiving dinner event!
2. Serve festive, but healthy Halloween treat options. Homemade Coconut-Banana Ghost Pops or Witches' Toenail Trail Mix may be enjoyable for family members at any age! Need more Halloween inspiration? Check this out.
3. If it’s a fall feast you’re planning, cook up some Turkey Pot Pie, Pumpkin Wedges, and more with the help of our easy Halloween dinner guide!
4. Cooking a recipe passed down from generation to generation? To make sure everyone enjoys this dish, ask your guests to warn you of food intolerances beforehand to give you time to find alternative ingredients. Here are some helpful holiday cooking tips! 
5. Set up a Halloween arts-and-crafts station! Aside from the traditional carving of jack-o’-lanterns, collect apples and use this project to bring them to life! 
6. What good is a Halloween party without games? Put a healthy twist on a traditional doughnut-eating contest by tying these Gluten-Free Doughnuts from a string.
7. Not a fan of cooking or DIY? If you’re just interested in treats, consider offering natural Halloween candy options. Click here for our Top 7 Halloween Candy Ideas or watch Taste for Life staff discuss their favorite natural Halloween alternatives.
8. For the adults at the party, be sure to provide a batch of colorful and creative mocktails! 

If you’re preparing for trick-or-treaters, a family event, or a friendly gathering, you might be wondering how you’ll maintain healthy nutrition with all the sugar filled sweets that dominate the holiday.

Luckily, there are plenty of healthy alternatives that give you the rush of eating yummy Halloween candy without giving you an unhealthy sugar-high.

Halloween Treat Alternatives

Whether you prefer to buy or cook your treats, these are just a few of our favorite spooktacularly healthy candy alternatives.

Heathy Treats You Can Buy

• Endangered Species

  Ten percent of the profits from this organization’s delicious chocolate products go towards improving habitats of endangered species. A variety of their dark and milk chocolate products could also make for great winter holiday gifts.

• Annie’s Homegrown

  Annie’s Homegrown offers a variety of certified organic and Non-GMO fruit snacks. For chocolate fanatics, the company also offers Chocolate Bunny Grahams.

• YumEarth Organics Gummies

  YumEarth’s gummy products are vegan and also do not contain gelatin. The company also offers fruit snacks and gluten-free licorice!

• Glee Gum

  Glee Gum not only offers a variety of natural gum and lollipops, they also offers special kits to help families make their own candy.

• UnReal Candy

  This company states that they’re on a mission to “unjunk the world.” Most of its products are natural, organic, and made with fair-trade ingredients.

• KIND Snacks

  KIND offers many treats and granola bars, with the promise that they contain ingredients that you can see and pronounce.

• Pamela’s SimpleBites Cookies

  Gluten-free flavors include Chocolate Chip, Ginger Snapz, Snickerdoodles, and Extreme Chocolate.

DIY Halloween Treats

• Jack-o’-Lantern Veggies and Dip

  

  1. Slice off the tops of raw bell peppers.
  2. Carve eyes, noses, and mouths into peppers to create faces.
  3. Stuff with sliced vegetables and your favorite dip.

• Mummy Pizzas

  

  1. Spread pizza sauce over split whole-grain, toasted English muffins.
  2. Lay strips of string cheese over to make a mummy face.
  3. Decorate with sliced black olive eyes. Bake until cheese melts.

• Scary Deviled Eggs

  

  1. Make your favorite recipe for deviled eggs.
  2. Place a black olive half in the yolk area to create the body.
  3. Add thin slices of black olives to create spider legs.

• Orange Pumpkins

  

  1. Peel skin from oranges, but keep the oranges intact and whole.
  2. Place a small piece of zucchini in the top of each orange to create stems.
  3. Arrange festively on a platter.

All Hallows’ Eve is supposed to be fun—and scary. But not because of all the artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives found in typical Halloween treats.

For decades, one of the scariest things about Halloween was all the scarily unhealthy candies out there. Why? Too much sugar can make a trick-or-treater more susceptible to colds and the flu due to compromised immune systems. Not to mention, high sugar consumption has also been linked to other health concerns such as obesity and diabetes.

What’s a self-respecting trick-or-treater to do in the face of such temptation? Since the goal of most kids is to get the maximum amount of candy they can, help them to enjoy the holiday without it being all about the sugary loot.

Easy Tricks for Halloween Nutrition

• Eat a Real Meal First

  Serve a healthy and filling meal before trick-or-treating begins. Kids will be less likely to binge on candy with a full stomach. Serve a warm, comforting food such as chili, soup, or stew before heading out for the evening.

• Put a Limit on the Haul

  To cut down on excess amounts of candy, limit the number of houses your child visits. Consider reducing the size of the bag your child can use for trick-or-treating. Once it’s full, put it out of reach at home.

• Munch in Moderation

  Set a limit to how many treats the kids can enjoy, and always make sure they eat only a small amount along with something healthy—like an apple. Have them eat the fruit first, so they’ll be less hungry for the treat.

• Offer Healthy Options

  If you’re hosting a Halloween party, don’t put out bowls of candy—that’s too tempting. Instead fill decorative trays with these healthier options: individually wrapped packages of granola bars, dried fruit, fruit leather, fruit ropes, string cheese, whole-grain pretzels, baked chips, and nuts. Roasted pumpkin seeds offer something crunchy to nibble on, and popcorn balls made with nut butter and sweetened with honey, maple syrup, or raisins are a tasty—and still sweet—offering. For something to drink, serve individual-sized boxes of fruit juice with no added sugar.

• Get Creative

  When trick-or-treaters come knocking, offer them non-food items. Fun suggestions include sparkly pencils and erasers, Halloween-themed bookmarks, sugar-free gum sweetened with stevia, inexpensive costume jewelry, stickers, funny glasses, pages from coloring books, mini magnifying glasses, toothbrushes, jump ropes, and balls.

• Consider Transmission-Free Meals

  If you’re worried about transmitting viruses, germs, or allergens to guests, the CDC recommends avoiding a buffet-like meal and asking guests to bring their own holiday snack instead. This limits sharing, enables you to cook only what you want, and also prevents the spread of harmful bacteria or ingredients.

• Remember the ABCs for a Healthy Halloween

  With all the busy-ness of Halloween, it can be hard to remember all the nutritional and safety tips on this list. To make it easier, here are three ways to keep your wits about you.

  • Avoid Sugar-Filled Candy

    Offer non-candy treats, such as Halloween-themed pencils and eras-ers. Give trick-or-treaters a reason to be physically active by handing out sidewalk chalk, jump ropes or hackie sacks.

  • Believe in All-Natural Treats

    If you must deliver the goodies, buy all-natural treats, such as or-ganic lollipops or pre-packed fruits and veggies.Your local organic or natural food store has plenty of options. If it is chocolate you crave, consider organic dark chocolates. After all, dark chocolate has many health benefits.

  • Cultivate Mindfulness

    Use the occasion to cultivate a healthier and more mindful attitude. While mindfulness will allow you to think more about what your family is eating, it will also help you think more consciously about preventing germ transmission.

Take our quiz to find out what Jack-o'-Lantern you are!