We did away with all things artificial long before we had fully uncovered all of K3’s health issues.  We saw improvements with the removal of preservatives, dyes, flavors and other additives like corn syrup.  We knew then that we were on the right track… for at least part of her health issues.  We later discovered she has some traditional food allergies and intolerances to things like wheat, gluten (Celiac anyone?), dairy, etc…   As you can imagine, finding candy that is safe is next to impossible.  But how do you tell your 5 year old that she can’t have any Halloween, Christmas or Easter Candy?  Yeah right.  Even after we became a NATURAL house… we still allowed the kids to have their Halloween indulgence and didn’t freak if the kids got some regular, junk filled candy when visiting family or friends.  Now that we know of a serious health reason for being cautious… we worry ALOT.  With Easter rapidly approaching I have been in search of safe candy for our Little Miss.  Here is what I have found (and please, please, please share if you know of anything else!).

The Natural Candy Store  www.naturalcandystore.com carries a mix of 80 pieces of GF and Vegan candies, including dark chocolate squares and lollipops.  We are ordering this mix, so I will post again in a few weeks to let you know how it goes over.  I intend to keep a couple lollipops in the car for those rare occassions we run through the bank window and are given Dum-Dums that K3 cannot have.  I hate not being able to give her a treat every once in a while.

Glee Gum www.gleegum.com.  While I don’t know if giving my almost 6 year old, gum is a great idea… I do know that she asks for it all time.  I found Glee Gum in Tangerine and Bubblegum flavors to be a big hit.  The caveat… ordering from their site requires buying a box of 12 packs… all the same flavor.  If you want to try it out first… check you local natural stores (our local Trader Joe’s carries it). 

Yummy Earth carries lollipops and hard candies www.yummyearth.com.  A tasty and natural alternative to Dum Dums.

Organic Surf Sweets www.surfsweets.com, offer several varieties of tasty gummy candies.  We have only tried the gummy swirls and they were a hit.  We found these locally at Whole Foods Market.

I have also discovered a few varieties of dark chocolate that are dairy free… this remains a must read the label everytime product.

We are still in search of a chocolate bunny that will be GFCF and free of all things artificial.  I haven’t found it yet… but am determined.  Worse case scenerio, I will track down a bunny mold at the baking shop, melt Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips and make my own bunny.   Who said the Easter Bunny can’t cook? 

In my search online today for yummy treats… I came across a blog I will be stopping by often.  The Candy Blog  http://www.typetive.com/candyblog/.  Of course, we have a few requirements for candy in addition to being natural, like also being gluten and dairy free… but I think this is a great blog to follow and use as a resource for our Natural Kids. :)

Happy Shopping.