Although fall is a season loved by many, a lot of people absolutely dread the Halloween season. Why? Because there is so much temptation with all the candy sitting around the house for weeks! Since Halloween is just around the corner, here are 10 tips to help you and your family enjoy the holiday.
- If the temptation of Halloween candy is too strong to resist, wait to buy it. Procrastinate until the day of or the night before to buy your candy, then you won’t snack on it for the days (or weeks) leading up to Halloween.
- Have a big dinner before going Trick or Treating. A warm, healthy meal will fill you and your little Trick or Treaters up and prevent a sugar crash later in the evening.
- Hand out non-candy items. To prevent yourself from snacking, and to prevent the inevitable sugar overload for the Trick or Treaters, hand out little toys or glow sticks. The kids will still enjoy what they get and you won’t be “that house” that hands out raisins.
- Indulge! Yes, candy and other treats are very unhealthy for you and your little ones. But, Halloween is only one night, so enjoy it! If you practice healthy eating and physical activity year round, one night of indulgence isn’t going to ruin all the work you’ve put in.
- Use a small Trick or Treat bag. By using a smaller bag, the kids still get the enjoyment of having a full haul of goodies, but, in reality, there are much fewer treats in the bag than it appears. This will prevent a lot of wasted candy, or candy that lingers in the house long after Halloween is over.
- Freeze the whole bag of candy. This works for both before and after Halloween. Freezing the candy means waiting a bit for a piece to thaw before you can eat it. This causes you to slow down and really think about what you are eating and if you really want it that bad.
- At the end of the night, sort out the candy into what you really like and what you would only eat just because it’s in front of you and toss or donate the latter pile. This eliminates mindless snacking and cuts down the candy stash significantly.
- Out of sight, out of mind! Stash the leftover candy out of sight and only treat yourself to one piece at a time. When you feel you need a sweet fix, the candy won’t be too far, but it won’t be close enough that it’s always on your mind either.
- One way to use the excess candy without continuing to eat it every day is to save it and use it for holiday baking. You can freeze it or hide it until the holidays start to roll around, which will be much sooner than you realize.
- Halloween can be fun and last the whole month with spooky, healthy treats. In a creative block? Here are some ideas for healthy snacks to keep the whole family happy!
Don’t let Halloween be any spookier than it already is! Enjoy the season, eat the candy, and stay active!