Candy And Snacks: The Best For Holidays And Birthdays

• Are there smart choices for kids' candy and snacks?

• What should parents and grandparents buy?

What’s a special occasion without a little candy, right? If it’s nothing but junk candy and snacks, though, we’re better off celebrating without it.

There are, however, some great alternatives junk foods for our traditional celebrations. The healthiest candy and snacks for kids can be yours!

With Valentine’s Day around the corner and Easter close on its heels, here are a few product lines to get your search for your little ones’ treats started.

Get on the right track before the holidays at the end of the year and you'll be ready with the best candy and snack choices for your family.

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YummyEarth band offers a variety of lollipops and gummy bears that taste good and have not-so-bad-for-you ingredients. Natural sweeteners with vegetable based flavors and colorings make their organic products an extra special treat.

They are packaged in a variety of sizes, as well. You can stock up or buy just a bit for a one time occasion-but be warned, they are really tasty replacements for ordinary candy and snacks.

YUM YUM Snacks.com carries natural and organic snacks, including gluten free items. Offering a wide variety of brands their snacks range from sweet to salty and can be purchased in bulk or single servings. Delicious nuts, grains, and fruits are highlighted throughout the different lines they offer. Nothing crummy here, just yummy.

Organic Food Bar Kid’s is a new brand to me, but their KEERUNCH, OOHMEGA, and OOOATMEAL bars look very appealing. Agave nectar seems to be the sweetener of choice here and they evidently include flax sprouts in their products! This looks like a good choice that I want to try soon.

For baking desserts at home for holidays or birthdays there are several great mixes available. I was recently looking at the Simply Organic brand’s Carrot Cake Mix because I’ll be needing an extra special dessert this spring. Dr. Oetker and Arrowhead Mills are also good brands to take a look at as we plan ahead for healthier desserts. This type product tops store bought candy and snacks any day.

Healthy desserts may seem like an oxymoron, but that's because we have learned to think of special occasion foods as junk food. We are not going to do without those special treats on for birthdays and holidays, are we? Why not go with the healthiest candy and snacks out of all that is available?

While it’s true that a little sweet-something is a nice treat, even quality snacks should not be overdone. Parents and grandparents have a responsibility to teach little ones that moderation in all things is wise. To read some thoughtful input on the need to set an example of eating healthy before the children as they grow up, you can check out this article.

Although we were not as aware of the need to pay attention to healthy eating when our children were young, our grandchildren have already been testing some of these products. They will continue to enjoy the best we can give them--that is, if I can keep my husband away from the candy and snack treats until they are delivered to the children!

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