by Kris Francefort, Homemade Health Coach Team Leader and Linda Yalen, Homemade Health Coach Team
Celebrating Halloween while maintaining a healthy balance can be fun and festive with a little planning. Enjoy the festivities while keeping health in mind.
1. Choose Healthier Treats
Offer Non-Candy Alternatives: Instead of candy, give stickers, temporary tattoos, costume jewelry, funny Halloween glasses, mini magnifying glasses, tiny decks of cards, small stuffed animals, pencils-toppers-erasers, markers, or small toys.
Healthy Snacks: If you prefer to offer edible treats, opt for healthier options like fruit snacks made with real fruit, mini boxes of raisins, or small packs of trail mix, nuts or seeds.
Coin exchange: Convert all the money you would normally spend on Halloween candy into pennies, nickels and dimes. Put it in a big bowl (or witches’ cauldron) and let each trick-or-treater grab a handful.
2. Portion Control
Small Treat Bags: Pre-packaged small portions can help kids and adults enjoy treats without overindulging.
Moderation: Allow yourself and your children to enjoy Halloween treats, but set limits to avoid consuming too much sugar at once.
Trick-or-treat bags that children carry should be appropriate to their size. Older kids can carry larger bags, but not as large as a shopping bag or plastic garbage bag.
Limit the houses your children can visit to a two or three block radius. That way the treats will most likely come from neighbors and friends, and the moderate amount of treats will be manageable.
3. Get Active
Walk while Trick-or-Treating: Instead of driving from house to house, walk the neighborhood to increase physical activity.
Halloween Games: Incorporate active games into your Halloween party, like a spooky scavenger hunt or a dance-off to Halloween music.
4. Eat Before Trick-or-Treating
Healthy Meal: Make sure everyone eats a nutritious meal before heading out. This can help reduce the temptation to overeat candy.
5. Candy Trade-In
Candy Buyback: Some dentists and community organizations offer programs where kids can trade in their candy for toys, books, or other rewards.
6. Mindful Eating
Savor the Treats: Encourage mindful eating by savoring each piece of candy. This can lead to greater satisfaction with fewer treats.
Time’s Up: Remove candy from your home after 1 week to avoid accessible, mindless junk-food snacking.
7. Set a Good Example
Model Healthy Behavior: Show your children how to enjoy Halloween treats in moderation and prioritize healthy foods. If you and your family eat sensibly all year, then kids know how to make wise decisions when they are tempted to overindulge with unhealthy foods.
8. Healthy Halloween Recipes
Fruit and Veggie Snacks: Make fun and spooky snacks like apple slices with almond slivers as “monster mouths” or banana “ghosts” with chocolate chip eyes.
Whole-Grain Options: Use whole-grain flour for Halloween-themed baked goods.
9. Stay Hydrated
Water First: Encourage drinking water before indulging in any treats or juices to help with digestion and reduce sugar cravings.
10. Focus on Fun, Not Just Food
Creative Costumes: Spend time and energy on making or selecting creative costumes.
Crafts and Decorations: Engage in Halloween crafts, pumpkin carving, and decorating as a way to enjoy the holiday without focusing solely on candy.
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