Halloween is almost here and my mission is to convince you that a healthy Halloween is possible for you and your kids.
How can you do it? Here are 10 tips that I have compiled over the last few weeks to lead you into having both a fun AND healthy Halloween.
1. Don't Toss These Out! 
- try roasting your pumpkin seeds for a delicious healthy snack.
2. Try A Healthy Halloween Snack 
- make SCARY snacks with fruits and vegetables for some serious fun!
3. Put the candy out of sight the day after Halloween and ration out treats. Substitute a small portion for dessert or serve a small serving along with a healthy snack. From a dental standpoint, eating sweets right after meals is better than snacking throughout the day.
4. Don't give out candy at all! Hand out stickers, glow sticks, creepy spider rings, Play-Doh, or any type of small toy.
5. Give children a healthy meal or snack before trick or treating so they won't be as tempted to dig into goodies before they get home.
6. Divide some of the goodies into freezer bags and use later.
7. If your children are old enough to understand, try making a care package of candy for a soldier in Afghanistan. There are a bunch of different organizations that can help you find a way to cheer up a soldier. One example is Any Soldier.
8. Don't give out the "stick to your teeth" candy! The Skittles, Starburst, and Taffy of the world is extremely difficult to clean off teeth. The sugar will adhere to the tooth enamel and cause cavities easily. Choose one of the non-sticky options like chocolate, lollipops, or Smarties.
9. SAFETY counts! Establish a FIRM rule that all treats must be checked at home BEFORE anything can be eaten. NEVER eat treats that are unopened.
10. Most importantly! - Remember to have fun! This tip is for parent's mental health! This event is just once a year and the indulgence is SO difficult to control. Let your kids enjoy themselves on Halloween and teach them portion control the rest of the year. Have fun and don't stress about it.
Great tips Krista. One thing that works for us is to "trade" the entire haul of candy for something else (usually something prearranged like a video they have been wanting to watch or something similar).
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