Healthy Halloween!
Halloween is just around the corner, and every year, parents embrace this time with mixed emotions. Candy and sweets are everywhere, and kids are chomping at the bit to collect as much as possible. Often, we buy big bags or boxes of candy, thinking we will have a lot of trick or treating traffic, but oftentimes, we have more than enough to spare. With candy leftovers, it is inevitable that we eat more of what meets our eyes, every time we open the cupboard doors.
So, how do we navigate Halloween differently this year? Here are some of my nutrition tips for a healthy and happy Halloween that will create new traditions for your family for years to come!
Approach Halloween with balance. Along with candy, use the theme of Halloween to create festive and nutritious fruit and vegetable platters. For example, every year, we use felt pens to paint faces on our mandarins so they look like Jack o’ Lanterns or carved pumpkins. They add a bright and festive look to our Halloween party table, and make a great trick or treat option. You can also offer candy along with their usual daily snacks as this helps normalize the candy experience rather than making it a “reward” food. If there is one take-away message here it is that we need to refrain from using food as a reward or punishment.
Set up opportunities for kids (and adults) to practice sharing. Divide the candy into bags, and if accepted, bring them to the work place or a social gathering, or share with your local charitable organization (if permissible). Every year, my kids drop off candy at a neighbourhood location, and they are so used to this now that they divide up their Halloween candy right away and organize a gift bag that is ready to donate. Kids also enjoy trading candy or giving candy away, so just let them be creative about how to pay the generosity of others forward.
Keep an open mind. Halloween is once a year, and if kids eat more candy that usual around this time, it is ok. As parents, we need to make sure we trust our kids, and offer them healthy foods as well as treats in a normalized way. If we start setting up food rules around candy, we begin to go down a slippery slope. Instead, ask your kids if they want to start a tradition where they have candy at a snack time, and let them decide how much to have. This will show your kids that you trust them and they will be less likely to overeat, and enjoy the experience of celebration, rather than feeling pressured or judged. Children are intuitive eaters and they know how to set their own limits around hunger and fullness. This being said, keeping regular meals and snack times consistent is important, and offering a variety of healthy foods to choose from along with the treats, helps to teach your child that all foods can fit.
Know how to dispel myths. Candy does not cause hyperactivity or behavioural issues, but it can lead to cavities. Again, instead of judgement, teach your kids that eating candy is fine, they just need to make sure to brush their teeth afterwards, and floss, to get rid of the sugar bugs that like to feast on the candy, too! Remember that nutrition habits are lifelong, and if your child learns how to achieve balance in what they are eating, healthy eating includes all foods, even candy.
