Healthy Halloween Tips

, October 4, 2010

Halloween is right around the corner and you know what that means – tons of candy all over your house thanks to your little trick-or-treaters. There is no reason for Halloween to be so scary; here are some tips to make your house a little healthier this Halloween.

There are some options other than candy that you can pass out. Go for animal crackers, trail mix or little packets of 100% fruit snacks. If you do decide to go with candy opt for dark chocolate, sugarless gum or look for candy labeled as “fun size” or mini. And remember, the saying is “trick or treat,” not “trick or candy,” so forego candy altogether and hand out non-food treats to the neighborhood kids like stickers, crayons, fake tattoos, silly bands, etc.

Can’t resist your kids’ candy bags? Don’t deprive yourself completely, but do try to limit yourself to only one or two pieces. When it comes to candy, there are some choices that are better than others. Pick a piece of dark chocolate or something with almonds or peanuts to give you a little bit of good fat and can balance out the sugar.

Don’t want your kids to go overboard? Here are some tips so they won’t go crazy for candy:

Make sure they eat dinner before going out, so they aren’t hungry and gobbling up candy as they walk from house to house.
Limit how much they have once they return home
Don’t let them keep the candy in their room, put it in the kitchen where consumption can be more easily monitored
Pack one or two pieces in their lunch
Get rid of the candy after a few days: take it to work to share with co-workers or give it to your child’s teacher to pass out as rewards

Tags: diet tips, healthy eating, healthy lifestyle choices, holidays