Oh come now, you've already seen it at your local grocer ... orange and black decor and scores of bagged candy littered the shelves before we even crossed the end of summer marker, Labor Day weekend. So who am I to turn down a Halloween press release in September? Especially when the treats in question double as an all natural lunchbox snack in a pinch. But keep in mind, these are still "treats" ...

September, 2010 – The Trick to a Healthier Halloween - Pesticides, chemicals and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Halloween goodies seem more like a trick than a treat.  So, this year Nature’s Path is making the holiday a little healthier for all the ghosts and goblins with 100% USDA certified organic Treat Size EnviroKidz Peanut Choco Drizzle Crispy Rice Bars.  

Parents can feel better about passing out these new Nature’s Path treats on Halloween: in addition to being organic, the bars are whole grain, low fat, low sodium, and non-GMO verified.   And, for the growing number of trick-or-treaters who are avoiding gluten – whether it is due to celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or a restrictive diet for other conditions – the Treat Size bars are also certified gluten free by the Gluten Free Certification Organization.

Unhealthy snacks can cause more harm for kids than Halloween-night sugar-highs according to a recent study that found children who ingest high levels of pesticides (which can be found in non-organic foods) are twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.  The recently released landmark President’s Panel on Cancer report also urges consumers to eat organic based on the negative effects of pesticides.

Giving moms and dads even more reason to feel good about passing out Treat Size EnviroKidz Peanut Choco Drizzle Crispy Rice bars, 1 percent of sales will be donated to non-profit organizations that benefit habitat conservation, endangered species and youth education, like all EnviroKidz products.  And, most importantly for the trick-or-treaters, kids love the peanut chocolaty taste!

Founded in 1985, Nature’s Path Organic Foods is headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia and employs over 350 people at its four facilities in Canada and the United States.  The privately held, family-owned company produces breakfast foods and snacks sold in specialty foods stores and retailers in 40 countries around the world.  The company’s innovative brands include Nature’s Path®, Flax Plus, EnviroKidz®, and Optimum®.  Visit Nature’s Path online at www.naturespath.com.

Did you know? Nature’s Path recently purchased 2,240 acres of fertile Saskatchewan farmland while partnering with local organic farmers on a cooperative crop-share basis. This represents their latest initiative to increase organic cropland and support family farms.

According to Nature's Path, Leapin Lemurs Cereal and Lemur Peanut Choco Drizzle Crispy Rice Bars are all gluten free products that do not contain dairy as an ingredient (see the ingredient list below). But be sure to check with the company if cross-contamination with milk ingredients is a concern for you, as the products are produced in a shared facility with milk and nuts.

Leapin Lemur Peanut Choco Drizzle Crispy Rice Bars Ingredients: Organic brown rice flour, organic brown rice syrup, organic honey, organic peanut butter, organic chocolate icing (organic evaporated cane juice, organic tapioca starch, organic palm kernel oil, organic cocoa, natural flavors, organic soy lecithin, sea salt), organic invert cane syrup, organic roasted peanuts, organic evaporated cane juice, organic soy oil, organic acacia gum, sea salt, organic molasses, tocopherols (natural vitamin E) Contains peanuts and soy. Produced in a facility that uses tree nuts and milk.