Prepare For A Healthy Halloween!
Prepare for a Healthy Halloween!
With the chance to dress up in costume and stock up on sweets, Halloween is the highlight of the year for many kids. Unfortunately, this time of year can be very frustrating for parents who encourage kids to eat healthy foods.
Most parents have been successful in keeping their kids from overindulging in Halloween treats, however, some say their efforts have failed for a variety of reasons — from kids finding parents’ secret hiding places to kids creating secret hiding places of their own. Below are a few tips on ways to limit your child’s candy consumption.
Tips from moms and dads:
- Feed them before they go trick-or-treating to discourage snacking while out.
- Tell them about the Halloween Pumpkin that will leave a toy in place of the candy.
- Toss out the most brightly colored candy!
- Let kids know ahead of time the limits and explain the reasons for those limits.
- Encourage them to share the candy with their friends.
- Suggestions may vary depending on your child’s personality and eating habits.
Insights for handling Halloween treats:
- Consider being somewhat lenient about eating the candy on Halloween, however, be sure to discuss how the rest of the candy will be handled.
- Consider buying back some or all of your child’s Halloween candy. This acknowledges that the candy belongs to the them while also providing a treat—in the form of a little spending money.
- Be a role model by eating Halloween candy in moderation yourself. Avoid temptation by buying your candy at the last minute and get rid of any leftovers.
- Encourage your kids to stop eating candy before they feel full or sick.
Alternatives to candy to give to trick-or-treaters who come to your door: non-food treats, such as stickers, toys, temporary tattoos, false teeth, little bottles of bubbles, and small games, like tiny decks of cards (party-supply stores can be a great source for most of these items) snacks such as small bags of pretzels, trail mix, small boxes of raisins, small boxes of cereal, and popcorn sugar-free candy. Steer clear of any snacks or toys — like small plastic objects — that could pose choking hazards to very young children.
Remember that Halloween, like other holidays, is a single day on the calendar. If your family eats sensibly during the rest of the year, it will have a more lasting impact than a few days of overindulgence.
