Shopping for Children Who Love Candy

What child doesn’t love candy? Almost all children like sweet treats, though they may not always like the same types of treats. Shopping for children who love candy is easy. Shopping for healthier treats for these children isn’t. Here are some ideas to help you shop for children who love to eat candy and sweet treats.

One of the best things you can do when shopping for children who like candy is buy smaller packages of single-serving candies. Tootsie Rolls, chocolates, and suckers all come in smaller servings. These can be a good way to let children indulge their sweet tooth without affecting their waistline too much. Once most kids start eating a pack of candy, they usually won’t stop until they have consumed the whole pack. Therefore, smaller packets are recommended. It can also teach them about self control and moderation when they’re eating sweets.

Shopping for healthy alternatives to candy isn’t as simple, but with a bit of perseverance you’ll settle on something they like. One of the best things you can do for your kids is to teach them to enjoy healthier treats by giving them regular access to things like seasonal fruits (nectarines, cherries, plums, etc.), nuts and dried fruit. This will help them maintain a healthy body weight as adults and learn to control their appetites better. Some sweet options that look and feel more like candy than an apple are trail mixes with a few chocolate or yogurt chips blended with the nuts. Trail mix with a bit of sweetness is good because it adds protein to the sweet treat. This keeps a child’s blood sugar from getting too low, which may lead to a candy or soda binge a few hours after eating (as eating ordinary candy does).

When you’re shopping for this treat, check packages to avoid preservatives and tons of extra sodium. Shopping for dried fruit is easy. Just pick up packages of dried cranberries or oranges at your local store (check the bakery section if you can’t find any) – the sweetness is condensed so these treats end up tasting almost like candy. They are still packed full of natural fruit sugar (bad for the teeth), but at least they’ll be free of the colorings and preservatives found in regular candy, which can affect even the healthiest of children in many adverse ways.