Better-for-You Valentine’s Day Swaps
Valentine’s Day is around the corner and it’s usually a holiday that includes candy. While I’m not going to sit here and say candy is great, I recognize that we all indulge sometimes, myself included!
The good news is that there are better options out there that have a lower sugar content, don’t use artificial dyes & flavors, and will satisfy that sweet craving without such a dramatic sugar crash after.
It’s important to keep in mind that even though these are “better” alternatives, they’re still sugar, which has a detrimental impact on our microbiome, hormones, blood glucose, inflammation, sleep, and more. We still want to try to avoid overindulging, hard as it may be!
Most of these alternatives are shared with kids in mind, but adults can certainly enjoy them too (I know I do!). I’ve also included some non-food items in case you want a change of pace and don’t want to include candy at all. We do a mix of mostly non-candy with a couple of treats mixed in.
Cleaner Candy / Treat Alternatives
Unreal Snacks: they have a ton of different products and they’re all delicious.
Yum Earth: this is our go-to for lollipops, gummies, “Skittles,” etc. They’re also allergy-friendly, so a great option at Halloween, too!
B.T.R. Bar: this is a new product I got “influenced” to try. My son is dairy-free, so I was looking for something he could have, too. These chocolates are outstanding, and they’re shaped like hearts! I also recently tried one of their bars, and that was tasty as well.
Simple Mills: if you make your own treats for Valentine’s Day, we really enjoy the Simple Mills box mixes. The chocolate chip cookies are always a hit, but we also really enjoy their brownies and chocolate cupcakes.
Sprinkles: pair a homemade treat with some dye-free sprinkles.
Hot Chocolate: we have the potential of a snow day on Valentine’s Day this year, so I’ll be prepared to make some cozy hot chocolate for the kids and myself to enjoy. These have zero added sugar, and if you go with the protein powder, it provides a boost of clean beef isolate protein. Just remember kids don’t need a full serving of either the protein powder or electrolytes.
Non-Candy Ideas
I try to focus on non-food items for Valentine’s Day, but will often include one small treat (this year it’s the B.T.R. chocolate hearts; I’ll put two in each child’s new food container for them to search & find).
Books: I always include a new book on Valentine’s Day that focuses on love, kindness, friendship, etc. It’s not always about the holiday itself, but more about the theme of the holiday. Our kids’ school calls it “Friendship Day,” which I personally love. I also love this blog for book recommendations.
Activity Books: Whether it’s magic painting, stickers, or mazes, it doesn’t matter. These are great for doctor’s office waiting rooms, out to dinner, in the car, etc. I linked an example to Amazon, but my local bookstore carries these or you can get them directly from the publisher here.
Valentine’s Activities: Target has really cute, inexpensive activities for kids. They come with everything you need, just put down a cover to protect your table/floor and you’re good to go.
“Novelty” Food Utensils: Feeding Littles is a great resource for feeding kids. I periodically check out their “novelty food tools” section to see if there’s something that might pique my kids’ interest for meal/snack time. This year I’m including this tray to use at snack time.
Screen-Free Stories: if your kids are into Tonies or Yoto, now is a great time to include a new figure or card.
Games: We’re getting into games in our house, so something like Slap Jack, Go Fish, or Uno are small, packable games the whole family can enjoy.
Pajamas: We don’t do this every year, but they’re fun to give if your kids need a new pair. We opt for organic and usually have good luck at Gap or Hanna Andersson.
Adult Pajamas: For the adults in your life, these are the softest pajamas (they have mens and kids, too).
In my opinion, you can never go wrong with a nice bouquet of flowers!