Halloween is all about dressing up in costumes, lots of treats and a ton of imagination, so it’s no surprise that kids (and even adults) love this time of year. While Halloween might seem like a sugar-laden nightmare for parents, it can be an opportunity to teach little ghouls and goblins about mindfulness and balance when it comes to what we eat.
By emphasizing the festive aspects of the holiday such as decorations, creative costumes and community Halloween activities, you can promote excitement and fun with less focus on tricky treats. Keep in mind, the grown-ups set the stage for how this and other holidays are celebrated and keeping an upbeat attitude while setting expectations can help keep everyone on track. Whether it’s a Halloween party, trick-or-treating or a relaxed evening passing out treats to neighborhood children, here are some ways to make Halloween this year healthier and a bit less spooky.
Start with a Balanced Meal
Before heading out to trick-or-treat or participate in Halloween haunts, enjoy a family meal that includes a lean protein, an energizing carbohydrate like sweet potato or brown rice and lots of veggies. Starting the night out with a nutritious meal will help curb the candy cravings and keep everyone fueled for some mischief-making.
Join the Teal Pumpkin Project
Halloween can be challenging for families with food allergies. The Teal Pumpkin Project is an initiative that raises awareness about food allergies. Homes that want to join in can simply place a teal colored pumpkin in front of their home to let folks with food allergies know that they offer non-food items to trick-or-treaters such as bubbles, pencils, stickers, or spider rings. Families unaffected by food allergies often appreciate these alternative prizes as well.
Practice Portion Control
Before taking off on Halloween night, have a talk about how to portion out candy and save it for later. It can be helpful to set some basic rules such as no eating candy while trick-or-treating. Not only does this help reduce candy consumption by increasing mindfulness, it ensures you can inspect the candy before it is eaten. Limitations as to how many pieces can be eaten per day and where it is kept in the home may also be part of the discussion.
Offer Healthy Treats
While many people like to go all out and pass out lollipops, chocolate bars and other traditional candies to trick-or-treaters, you may want to consider some more nutritious, but still fun options. Halloween-themed fruit snacks made with real fruit, mini bags of pretzels or popcorn, or whole grain granola bars are kid-friendly and parent-approved treats with more nutritional value. If you do plan to hand out candy, wait until right before Halloween to buy it to help avoid unintentionally nibbling on candy before the 31st.
Make Safety a Priority
Remember to inspect your child’s Halloween candy before it is enjoyed, especially for younger children and those with food allergies. If anything looks suspicious or isn’t well-wrapped in a factory sealed package, toss it. This is a good opportunity to have a chat about donating some candy, which can often be done through your dentist’s office and local charities.
LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. She can be reached at RD@halfacup.com.