Halloween is just a couple days away and I want to take this time to discuss ways to manage the amount of candy you either provide to other children or what to do when your own child comes home with a bag full of candy.
If you are handing out goodies this year, consider these suggestions:
Fun, non-food ideas:
•Halloween-themed temporary tattoos or stickers
• Halloween-themed pencils, erasers, or pencil toppers
• Spooky plastic rings or false teeth
• Halloween-themed bracelets
Healthier food options:
• Individual packages of raisins or other dried fruit
• 100 percent fruit leathers
• Fruit snacks that are made from real fruit juice
• 100 percent juice boxes
• Small packages of gum
If you are giving out candy, the smaller the better:
• Small lollypops
• Stick to the fun- sized candies and only allow one candy per child. This will help promote portion control.
• Only buy as much candy as you think you will need. Otherwise, you may end up being the one eating too much Halloween candy.
If your child or teen will be trick or treating:
· Make sure they eat a well balanced dinner prior to going out and collecting candy. This way, the candy will be more of a dessert rather than a meal.
· When your child comes home with their stash of candy, allow them to have a few different pieces that night. Allow them to pick one piece of candy each day to have as a treat over the next week or so.
· Store the candy out of site and reserve for special occasions. Don’t allow your kids to keep their candy stash in their rooms.
Your child might argue with you, or be upset that you are limiting their candy intake. However, it is very important to discuss the reasons why you are doing this. It’s beneficial to start discussing good health and healthy eating with your child at a young age so they can develop healthy eating habits that will last throughout their lifetime. It’s much harder to make these changes as we get older.
Have a happy and healthy Halloween!
If you would like to schedule a counseling session with a registered dietitian at Noble Hospital, please call 413-568-2811 ex: 5671 for more information.
Allison Mitchell RD,LDN, is the Clinical Nutrition Manager at Noble Hospital.
