Halloween Nutrition And Candy Survival Kit

 

How To Prevent Halloween Nutrition Nightmare

 

Your Halloween Candy Survival Kit

 

Imagine sitting down to eat a five-pound bag of sugar!!! That’s exactly what many of you and your children will do on Halloween.

While Halloween is an exciting night for kids, this night does not have to scare off good nutrition habits. So, how do you keep the holiday fun but make sure that you or your children do not overdo it when it comes to candy consumption?

The Most Important Step you can Take….

Set guidelines in advance of this special night.

1. Create a Candy Plan -
YOU can help your children control their candy consumption by having them dump all of their “goodies” onto the kitchen table (or floor) and then sorting them into three different piles:

- their favorites

- the ones they think are just so-so

- and ones they don’t really care for.

The goal of the three piles is to allow kids the chance to designate their favorites and give you the chance to combine candy into smaller packages so it’s not all eaten at one time.

2. Don’t Forget Dinner -
Some kids feel the need to try to eat all the candy on Halloween night, making for a barrage of calories, not to mention upset stomachs. Eating a full, nutritious dinner before trick-or-treating will also help reduce your little one’s appetite for Halloween handouts.

3. The Power of Choice -
Give your children the opportunity to learn about making healthier choices. Teach them to read and understand nutrition labels on their candy treats. When it’s their choice to “have” or “have not,” the temptations are usually not as great.

Focus on portion control rather than forbidding a little splurge! By allowing treats in moderation rather than eliminate them, children learn the importance of balanced eating will be better-equipped to manage their own diet as adults.

4. The Halloween Fairy –
A creative twist to minimizing the sugar intake.

When the trick or treating is all over, spread the candy out on the kitchen table and have your child choose a few goodies he/she would like to keep and eat. Leave the rest of the candy in the middle of the kitchen table for the Halloween Nutrition Fairy to take away. When your child wakes in the morning, the candy is gone and a surprise is sitting in its place.

 

Healthier Alternatives to Candy:

 

Goldfish

Fruit Rollups

Mini Boxes of Dried Fruit

Single-serving packets of microwave popcorn

Single-serving boxes of cereal

Cheese sticks or Babybel Cheese rounds

Packages of trail mix

Ginger snaps

Package of hot cocoa mix

Granola bars

Individually wrapped strips of beef jerky

Fruit cups or applesauce cups

NON FOOD Tricks and Treats:

Fun treats can extend beyond the candy variety. Sports collector cards, stickers, rubber spiders, glow sticks, cool pencils and other non-cavity-causing treats are a wonderful option to consider this Halloween.

Prevent the battle of Halloween candy overdose, cavities and poor nutrition. (And remember, the less leftover candy in your cupboard, the less temptation for you!)

Finally, Halloween can be so much more than just Candy….

Create an Unforgettable Experience; Create a New Tradition.

This is what my parents did for me and my sister. I was trick or treating during the scare of razor blades being hidden in candy, so my parents turned the tables – instead of taking a risk, they choose some candy and some healthier foods and hid them around the house for a Spooky Scavenger Hunt.

My mom hid all the treats and my dad created index cards with clues. My sister and I had a Blast as we tried to decipher the clues and find our treats.

You can also choose to make Halloween more theatrical- you and your children can dress up in costumes and turn your front porch yard into a spectacle – something they’ll remember long after the treats are gone.

• Build a cauldron and fill with water and dry ice to keep the pot bubbling.

• Use eerie sound effects that can be heard as kids come up your front walk.

• Carve numerous pumpkins into scary jack-o’-lanterns to line the front walk.

• Make a scarecrow for your front lawn.

• String pumpkin lights across your porch railing.

• Hang cobwebs around your front door.

So, before you head off to the store to stock-up on sweets, consider starting a new, healthier Halloween nutrition tradition.

You can create a fun-filled atmosphere — a festive holiday with friends, family, and more supportive foods. Keep the fun and focus on Halloween festivities rather than candy treats.

Enjoy and have fun…..that is the secret of a great Halloween!

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Last Year Tyler dressed up as Max from “Where the Wild Things Are” for school.

This year he’s all about Harry Potter

And Alexander is keeping it simple…

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