When I was a kid in the 60’s my parents had to approve everything I was given before I was permitted to eat it. My understanding was that this was to protect me from evil-doers who tried to harm children by giving them poisoned candy.
In particular, there was the story about “razor blades in the apples”. In retrospect, that seems pretty bizarre: who would save up their used razor blades just to put them in apples? (snopes)
But it did raise another question when I remembered it. Does anyone still give apples, or anything even vaguely healthy, to kids at Halloween?
I haven’t seen anything that’s not factory-wrapped for decades. I’d be surprised if anyone in a metropolitan area gives out fresh fruit or homemade treats like popcorn balls or cookies. I could see it being different in a small town.
My imagination is failing me at present to think of a factory-wrapped healthy treat other than maybe granola bars. Are they affordable for the giver?
I suppose dried fruit type treats might be possible - little lunchbox packs of raisins, or fruit winders (or whatever your local name is for fruit leather).
I’ve got a feeling many city kids would just throw them away.
Back in the day, there was one house that used to hand out apples and dried apricots. Most kids felt this was sharp practice (though I loved the apricots).
We used to get a couple of those teeny boxes of SunMaid raisins.
Shopping for treats this year I saw a lot of small bags of pretzels in “halloween” packaging.
I go to a friends house and pool candy with a group of folks. Even the most irritatingly crunchy dressed in hemp anti-obesity, anti-sugar, children should have better options, chick among us gave the pretzel idea two thumbs down. “It’s Halloween!,” she said “It has to be candy and it has to be GOOD candy!” I was surprised, because if anyone was going to give individual bags of wheat germ and flax seed it would be her. In three hours she didn’t eat one piece herself, though. I don’t know how she does it.