Avoiding FrankenCandy & Better Finding Alternatives
If you’re somewhat like me, the thought of having my toddler go from door to door asking for GM-laden candy, makes me quiver just a little. I know I can’t shelter him forever and I know it’s healthier to not be so damn anal about certain things but let’s face it, I really don’t want my two year old to eat a Snickers bar or Twix full of genetically engineered garbage.
Have you taken a moment to actually read what is in some of these mainstream candy bars? Yikes! Let’s take a look at a Snickers bar.
This has junk written all over it. Sugar is just another word for genetically engineered sugar beets (read more about it HERE) and of course the soy lecithin, corn syrup and hydrogenated soybean oil is full of Franken-ish ingredients (not to mention trans fats).
I boxed skim milk because you can damn sure expect the milk came from unhealthy, factory farm cows eating unnatural FrankenCorn and FrankenSoy. You are what you eat my friends, and if a unhealthy, unhappy cow eats GMOs, then most likely you are eating GMO’s as well (you can figure the same for the egg whites: coming from caged chickens, pumped full of antibiotics).
Last but not least, I boxed artificial flavor because artificial anything is no bueno — unless you’re talking about creating an artificial reef for fish, to build an ecosystem. Since the artificial flavor is by no means a way to build an ecosystem, you can put it on your “to avoid list.”
So maybe Snickers was a give-in to many people but what about simple, innocent fruit snacks? Fruit snacks just have fruit in them right? Unfortunately, Welch’s Fruit Snacks are anythingbut innocent.
Here’s what you can find in a little package of Welch’s Fruit Snacks.
Hey, would you look at that, it’s almost the same as the Snickers bar! FrankenCorn Syrup, FrankenSugar and FrankenCorn. Talk about a seriously spooky fruit snack. The difference between these and the Snickers bar is the artificial colors — which are seriously not good for your health and even worse for your children. Artificial colors have been linked to behavioral problems in children like ADHD and hyperactivity as well as triggering allergic reactions and contributing to the obese problem.
Let’s not forget the fruit has probably been doused in pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
So Now What?
All this information may want to make you stay as a hermit crab forever and protect your child forever but the reality is that you cannot. I mean, you can, but I don’t know how fulfilling of a life that may be. As a parent, it’s up to you to decide what is right for your family. If you stay away from FrankenFoods on a regular basis, then a few candies on Halloween won’t hurt. It’s important to remember that everyone has different opinions and they should always be respected. There is no right and wrong so the most important thing here to remember is to just go with what you feel is okay.
Life is about living and enjoying things, right? Not living in fear all the time and restricting yourself from everything.
However, if you still are not wanting your little one to eat GMO’s on Halloween (I don’t blame you, I’m in the same boat) then here are a few great alternatives that are FrankenFood and artificial anything, free.
The good thing about Halloween this year for us is that he probably won’t be too interested in conventional candies because they are way too sweet for his taste buds. So for now, I think I’m okay. In a few years? Yeah well, that may be a different story and we’ll cross that bridge when it comes.
Many parents I’ve spoke to said they allow a few pieces of candy or trade them for something even better. It’s all about finding what works for your family!
How do you and your family avoid GMO’s on Halloween? Do you allow your kids to have a few FrankenCandies?
Be sure to check out Rethink Simple, Scratch Mommy, Live Simply, Naturally Mindful and We Got Real for their contributions to ’31 Days of Homemade Halloween.’ Make sure to follow our Pinterest board so you can stay up-to-date with the new posts each day.
