Halloween Candy

In modern day trick-or-treating, parents know that it's mandatory to pass out individually wrapped candy (am I wrong, or has that razor blade story been going around since I was a child?) — and the bigger and more sugary, the better. In my hometown, if you wanted to keep your porch pumpkins in one piece, you had to be the family that gave out full-size candy bars, not (heaven forbid!) granola bars or those generic candies. But if you want to jazz up that plastic bowl full of Butterfingers and Snickers bars, we've found some great ideas to make your Halloween candy cuter. Keep clicking to find your favorite.

For parents of kids with food allergies, the scariest part of Halloween isn't frightening movies on TV or too realistic monster masks, it's the idea that one tot's treat is another's anaphylactic shock. Eight allergens account for 90 percent of all food allergies — milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. Since we're dealing with candy, the fish and shellfish allergies aren't really an issue, but the other six definitely are, as they're all common ingredients found in many types of sweets.

We've found a great selection of candy for kids with all types of allergies — from gluten to soy to dairy to tree nuts — so that no one has to be left out of the candy binge. At the end of the night, when parents are nervously assessing their tots' haul, they'll appreciate being able to give something back to their lil one, worry free.

There's no law that says a Halloween treat must contain copious amounts of sugar to fit into the category. There are tons of great options for nonedible goodies that will please everyone — tots, parents, and especially dentists! — this Halloween. From itty-bitty dinosaurs to mini packages of Play-Doh and glow-in-the-dark pencils, tots will be so thrilled with their stash that they won't even miss the sugar high!

Sure you can fill lil trick-or-treaters' loot bags with the standard mini chocolate bar, just like everyone else on your block. Or you can switch things up a bit with some of the newest candy to hit the confectionery aisles! From Halloween-inspired treats to updated versions of your favorite candies, check out some of the newest sweets available just in time for lil ghosts and goblins to eat them up!

Shopping for Halloween candy presents a sticky situation for parents committed to living as greenly as possible. Eco-friendly or "green" is so vague — does eco-friendly candy mean candy that's good for earth, good for tots, or good for the people who actually pull the taffy? It can mean all of those things, which is why candy shopping can be confusing. Instead of making yourself crazy finding the perfect candy, pick one area that your family is going to focus on, and have some fun with it.

Keep reading for a selection of candy that's certified fair trade — meaning everyone in the chain to create the product for sale gets a fair payment, and it also means that working conditions are safe and that child labor or slaves are not engaged. Now that sounds sweet.