I LOVE the spooky season, but ever since my Gastroparesis diagnosis and not being able to eat acidic chocolate, the holidays in general are rough. It's always tricky when offices put out that bowl of candy which haunts you every time you walk by, or someone BOO's you with a bag of treats you can't eat. This is why I wanted to feature a blog on sweets you can consume this season, so you can enjoy yourself like everyone else!
What if I can't have sugar? Whether you are Diabetic, have Interstitial Cystitis, or just want to snack healthier, there are many low sugar and sugar free candy options on the market these days. Many diets, including Keto, Paleo, Whole 30, and low FODMAP, require 0 to little sugar content to follow, which Halloween can make difficult with candy looming everywhere you go. My bf recently got me some candy bars from Whole Foods that are sweetened with Stevia and taste amazing. Lily's brand and Chocolove XO are simply no sugar added to their chocolate bars, but there are brands that make almost sugar gummy candy, too, like Smart Sweets. They make their own version of Swedish Fish, my favorite candy, which are very high in fiber, so they're actually reasonably good for you! They do have some carbs, but no fat, so I don't feel guilty eating them at all. I bought mine at Target, but they are sold at Whole Foods as well. The brand also makes a version of Sour Patch Kids that is equally sour and yummy, just less intense than the real thing.
I'm a fan of anything that doesn't taste like fake sweetener, especially now that sugar makes me itchy. We all know sugar allows candida to grow, which in turn can give you a yeast infection, but did you know that you can have candida overgrowth pop up virtually anywhere in your body, not just down there? You can get it anally, in your stomach, and even in your hair. Gross! As of a year ago, I now get itchy all over my body when I consume a little bit of sugar in one sitting. It could be from an alcoholic drink, a cookie, or even just a breakfast bar. I used to stick to ice cream to curb my sweet tooth, since the fact that it melts meant my stomach didn't have to worry about digesting anything, but now I'm trying to stay away from even that to lessen my overall sugar intake.
What if I can't have cocoa? I typically go for white chocolate instead of milk or dark because it isn't "real chocolate". That means it doesn't give me acid reflux, but it does still have real sugar in it and tastes super sweet still. One easy way to avoid cocoa AND refined sugar is to simply bake your own sweets. These days there are a plethora of recipes out there for vegan, gluten free, and sugar free treats to partake in. I just made this one for Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Cookies and they were surprisingly tasty. I'm a sucker for moist cookies and I brought these to my company Halloween party for those of us who are on a special diet. They were a big hit! I've found that cinnamon, pumpkin, caramel, strawberry, peanut butter, and vanilla are the best flavor replacements for being unable to eat chocolate. Baking wise, if you're looking for replacements, recipes lean towards using coconut sugar, oil, and flour; almond flour and butter; apple sauce; honey; maple syrup; and agave nectar in place of refined sugar and flour. These items can take a dessert from a guilt driven, sugar coma inducing delicacy to an after dinner delight with no qualms about it. The ingredients may be more expensive, but the end result is worth it and they luckily aren't more difficult to make.
So regardless of whether you took children trick or treating, handed out candy yourself, or received some from another source, don't give in to the sin! Finding alternatives is your key to a happy, healthy holiday filled with no regrets on Dia de los Muertos. I wish everyone a safe and body friendly candy binge this week!
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