With Halloween right around the corner, goodies lining store shelves, and bowls of colorful sweet treats around the office, it’s almost impossible to avoid candy during this time of year. But we’re here to help. Below are a few tips to help navigate the sea of sugar.

Healthier Options to Satisfy a Sweet Tooth

• Try to keep candy out of your home and office until the day of Halloween to help avoid temptation.
• Buy candy you don’t like, so you’ll be less enticed to eat it.
• Stock your desk and home cabinets with healthy treats. Here are some of my favorites:
  • Larabar Originals: The coconut cream pie and pecan pie are wonderful and taste sweet without the added sugar.
  • KIND Snack Size Bars: The peanut butter and chocolate flavors are great and offer a healthy balance of nuts and chocolate.
  • Lilyssweets: They are not low-calorie or low-fat chocolate bars but are completely sugar-free and contain no artificial sweeteners.
• Satisfy your sweet tooth with xylitol-sweetened lollipops, gums, and mints from your local natural foods market.
• If you want to avoid all treats (no matter how natural), try Sweet Defeat, a lozenge that blocks sweet receptors and eases sugar cravings.

You don’t have to feel deprived. If there’s a piece of candy you look forward to during this time of year, indulge in a mini version of it. For me, it’s a Butterfinger. I don’t purchase a whole bag, but I buy a bag of mixed bars and set a couple mini Butterfingers aside for myself.