7 Tips to Make Halloween as Healthy as Possible
Hey Angels and Alphas,
Let’s face it – for both youngsters and adults, trick-or-treating is a very lucrative (but not really nutritious) business. Especially if you’re in the business of collecting extra calories. Based on the nutrition labels on some of the more popular candy brands, rough estimates suggest that the average child will accumulate up to 7,000 calories worth of treats on Halloween night. That’s more than some people get in a week.
When you examine that fact, Halloween does end up becoming pretty scary. And you know what the scariest part of Halloween is? If all those calories are not gobbled up with the right moderation, just those treats could add up to 2 pounds. Yikes!
We’re all for enjoying a few Halloween candies here and there. Some of them are downright delicious. But with the abundance of candy you have at home, at work, and the candy given around Halloween parties, it can be very easy to go overboard.
Today, we’ve compiled 7 tips you can use to make sure you effectively manage all these extra calories in the upcoming candy-filled days.
#1 IF YOU’RE BUYING CANDY, WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE
Hold off and don’t go breaking open those bags of candy until you hear that first youngster trick-or-treating at your door. Take a step further and make sure you wait until Halloween day to purchase your treats.
#2 MAKE SURE YOU FILL UP AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE
Prepare your usual healthy meals and healthy finger foods for you and the kids to munch on before you head out for all the Halloween festivities. Doing so will reduce the desire to instantly fill up on candy as soon as you (or your kids) can get your hands on it.
#3 PLAY YOUR ROLE IN THE CANDY EXCHANGE
Your children will want to enjoy their Halloween treats. But what if you can make them enjoy them without noshing on them? Allow your children to enjoy them for a day, then propose the following trade: their bag or pillowcase full of candy in exchange for a new toy of their choice. Then you can take all their leftover candy and donate it to a charity, organization, or keep it for guests or colleagues at work.
#4 IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN AROUND YOU, BE A ROLE MODEL
Children love to emulate. So if you take a balanced and healthy approach to your candy consumption, children around you are likely to do the same and learn from your healthy habits. You can enjoy one or two small pieces at a time and allow the same for your kids, just keep in mind that children are watching you and learning from you on how to behave come Halloween night.
#5 GIVE OUT HEALTHY, NON-TRADITIONAL TREATS
Some more interesting choices of treats such as bouncy balls, glow sticks, hacky sacks, and others will be inexpensive, calorie-free treats you can give out and actually promote more physical activity. Plus, they’ll probably be more fun for children than another handful of miniature candies.
#6 KEEP A TALLY OF ALL THE MINIATURE TREATS YOU TRY
Those miniature treats end up stacking up. It’s easy to have 3-4 treats the sizes of entire snacks throughout the course of your day. You might think you’re making smarter choices in this regard, but when you do the math, the fat and calories will quickly add up to a few full-sized candy bars.
#7 ENJOY THE HALLOWEEN DAY FOR WHAT IT IS
Never forget that Halloween, just like any other holiday, is just one day of the year. If you and your family have already made healthy eating a habit, it’s totally okay for you to enjoy a few days of overindulgence. But be honest with yourself.
Plan on making a nutritious, tasty, healthy meal over the weekend and immediately go back on track with your healthy eating habits as soon as all the trick-or-treating is over.
If you’ve developed a healthy mindset and a productive relationship with food, you don’t have to stress about Halloween overindulgence too much. After all, the holiday is synonymous with candy, sweets, and treats.
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