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Halloween Candy Craze: A Dietitian's Advice to Avoid the Sugar Rush

by Todd & Lisa McLain 10/24/2021

Thank you to my fellow Registered Dietitian Emily O'Neill, MS, RDN, CLC for contributing this article! You make the world extra sweet!

Halloween was one of our favorite holidays as kids but now as parents, all that candy can be scarier than navigating a haunted house. It’s easy to find that this holiday can be stressful but fear not, there are a few tips that can help every parent avoid their kids partaking in a sugar overload.

Five Tips for managing all that candy

  1. Take it to work - Let your kids pick out their favorite candy from the night and take the rest to the break room at work. This is an easy way to get rid of that candy and your coworkers will appreciate the office treat! 
  2. Give it to your local dentist - A lot of dentists will take the candy and donate it or donate pounds of food for Care and Share for how many pounds of candy that are collected. You could also donate the candy directly to Care and Share or your local food bank. 
  3. Keep everything in moderation - Try giving your child 2-3 pieces per day to keep their sugar intake reasonable. This helps teach children how to moderate their intake within reason. This is an important skill with food and especially treats. It is important that as parents you are also partaking in the moderation and being an example as well since kids really do watch everything you do! 
  4. Bake with it for Christmas - Did you know? Chocolate can be kept frozen for up to 18 months to prolong its shelf life. Use that Halloween chocolate for your Christmas treats! I recently came across this idea and love it. It’s so easy to melt down the Reese’s Peanut Butter cups to make Puppy chow or Muddy Buddies depending on where you’re from! 
  5. Eat up before trick or treating - Offering a healthy and balanced dinner before trick or treating will help to make sure your kids aren’t candy crazed monsters when they come home. You can also have a healthy Halloween snack waiting for them when they get home to help make sure they don’t gorge themselves with candy. 

Consider Kids with Allergies

Have you ever heard of the teal pumpkin? By placing a teal pumpkin on your front porch, you are letting parents and kids know that you have alternative food treats to give to kids with allergies. Most kids will ask “Trick or Treat? Teal pumpkin please.” Some of these treat alternatives could include: 

  • Small toys
  • Pencils
  • Coloring books 
  • Toothbrushes
  • Slime

Check out www.foodallergy.org for more information on the Teal Pumpkin Project.

 

About the Author
Author

Todd & Lisa McLain

We are Todd and Lisa McLain and we would love to serve you throughout your home buying/selling experience. Whether you're in the research phase of your real estate search or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having real estate professionals with over 20 years of experience in the Pikes Peak region by your side. We'd be honored to put our real estate experience to work for you!