Tips for a Healthy Halloween

Halloween is one of those holidays that we love and hate. There is nothing more fun than seeing your children excited to dress up in their costumes and go out trick-or-treating, but there is no denying that all Halloween does is bring a bunch of junk food into the house… which we all know is hard to resist, especially the Almond Joys!

I have included a few tips below to help bring some health to your Halloween!

1. Avoid Buying Candy Until that Day

If candy is lying around the house, you are more likely to eat it. So instead of snacking on one or two pieces each day leading up to Halloween, buy your candy that day, or buy it ahead but stash it away out of sight!

2. Make an Extra Healthful Dinner

There is no doubt that your children (and yourself) will be having a few more treats than normal. Instead of just ordering pizza for dinner on halloween, make an extra healthy dinner. I generally make something hearty and warm like chili or this great soup recipe and a nice green salad.

3. Add in Some Exercise

Instead of driving to go trick-or-treating, try walking to the next neighborhood. Or even when your little ones are done collecting candy, walk around the neighborhood a few times to check out all the other costumes. Exercise will help offset the extra indulgences of the day.

4. Avoid Large Collection Bags

Find an appropriately sized collection bag for your child and steer clear of using a pillow case. If you encourage your child to only take one piece of candy from each house, they’ll be able to visit more houses in the neighborhood and still fill up their smaller bag.

5. Manage Expectations

Let your children know that when they come home they will get to eat a certain amount of candy so they should keep their eyes out for their favorites as they are trick-or-treating. When you return home, they can sort the ones they want to eat that night and the rest gets stored away, once again with the expectation that they will get to pick out a certain amount of pieces in the following days or weeks. More often than not, they will lose interest in the stash over time!

Happy Halloween to you and your family!

-- Jill