The 2014 Healthier HALLOWEEN Candy Cheat Sheet

NEW YORK - Oct. 14, 2014 - PRLog -- Halloween is the biggest candy-selling holiday of the year and chocolate accounts for over 70% of those sales.  Americans spent over $12.6 billion dollars on chocolate (http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/10/27/most-popular-halloween-candy-in-usa/3274967/) alone, from September 2012 through September 2013, according to USA Today.  There are 15 million Snickers bars—the top seller-- made daily.  No wonder the competition among America’s chocolate manufacturers is fierce.

Analysis by Healthy Living Advocate Amy Ziff (http://www.amyziff.com/) reveals that the top selling candies are also highly processed and artificial.  Cheap, fake ingredients enable companies to earn more profits.  In addition, many of these candies are loaded with unhealthy ingredients that don’t serve the body well.  Ziff wants parents to become informed about what’s in these candies, and to get educated about how to find better, great-tasting and fun alternatives.

According to data, the top 10 best-selling chocolate candies are:

1.     Snickers

2.     M&Ms

3.     Reese’s

4.     Hershey’s

5.     Kit Kat

6.     Twix

7.     3 Musketeers

8.     Milky Way

9.     Hershey’s Cookies-n-Crème

10.   Peter Paul Almond Joy

Ziff says that common candy ingredients used by Hershey’s, Mars and Nestle such as artificial flavors, artificial colors and dyes, hydrogenated oils, High Fructose Corn Syrup, TBHQ, and other preservatives and additives have been associated with everything from asthma to hyperactivity and diabetes to cancer.   “Instead of filling your Halloween basket with a bevy of scary ingredients, parents should buy superior products made by companies pioneering a purer path.  Alternative products are made with organic, non-GMO, and real food ingredients.”  She says parents should forego ingredients found on food watchdog lists like LabelWatch (http://www.labelwatch.com/) and CPSI, The Center for Science in The Public Interest (http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/).

In order to make purchasing better candy incredibly simple, Ziff has provided a list of 10 healthier candy options for parents who want to know AND want to make better choices at Halloween and every holiday.

The list of Amy’s approved candies means choices that are free of GMOs, artificial colors and dyes, hydrogenated oils, and are mostly made from fair-trade, real-food ingredients. In other words, candy without all the junk!  This is a list of treats that parents can serve without any guilt or hesitation.

1.     Unreal Candies (http://getunreal.com/our-story) (try their alternatives to Snickers, Reese’s & M&Ms)

2.     Alter Eco chocolates (http://www.alterecofoods.com/product-category/chocolate/) (now made in small sizes for Halloween, they’re socially just and environmentally responsible as well as organic)

3.     OCHO candy bars (http://www.ochocandy.com/) (sustainably made, non-GMO ingredients and organic candy bars)

4.     Surf Sweets (http://www.surfsweets.com/) (these vegan gummies come in a variety of flavors.  Everything is nut, soy, GMO and artificial dye and flavor free.)

5.     Yum Earth (http://yummyearth.com/natural_organic_lollipops.html) (organic lollipops that have no HFCS, artificial flavors or colors and are GMO free)

6.     Glee Gum (http://www.gleegum.com/classic-glee-gum.htm) & Gum Pops Naturally sourced, sustainably harvested chicle gum with no petroleum based ingredients, no artificial flavors or preservatives and is non GMO)

7.     Theo Chocolate (https://www.theochocolate.com/)(Organic, Fair Trade & Non-GMO now making peanut butter cups too.)

8.     Plum Kids Organic Fruit Straws (http://www.plumorganics.com/products#fruit-straws) (A real-fruit based treat to rival any licorice these organic fruit straws come in strawberry or cherry)

9.    Nutiva Coconut (https://store.nutiva.com/ococonut/) Treats (Stepping outside the regular candy box with these organic, Non-GMO, fair trade coconut treats is a low-calorie way to go)

10.  Organic Popcorn (Is a totally natural, non-GMO snack that you can pop easily and inexpensively for a D-I-Y party treat)

This Halloween, take the fright out of your candy and take a bite out a better-for-you treat without sacrificing anything.

About Amy Ziff

Amy Ziff is a healthy living advocate, coach and founder of Veritey.com an online resource for nontoxic and safe products.  Amy’s coaching has been featured on ABC’s Nightline and her advocacy has reached over a 1.5 million Moms. Ziff teaches classes on how to detox your home, remake your pantry, and reduce your body burden.  Visit www.amyziff.com for more information.

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EDITOR'S NOTE:  To speak with Amy Ziff or to obtain more information about Veritey, please contact Adrienne at 917-701-7389.