Nine Healthier Halloween Habits
1.Give Trinkets instead of Treats
Halloween or Fall Pencils
Mini-Playdough Jars
Stickers
Tattoos
Bracelets
Erasers
2.Healthy(er) Treat Options
Pretzels
Dark Chocolate
Raisins
Trail Mix (Can do seeds instead of nuts!)
Cuties, Apples, or other small fresh fruit
Cuties decorated as Jack-o-lanters
Half bananas disguised as ghosts
Real Fruit gummies with no artificial food colors
Avoid anything with artificial food dyes
3.Feed your children a well-rounded meal before going Trick-or-Treating
High in protein
High in good fats
Helps them not to be so hungry so they can make better choices for wanting to eat candy
4.Set an expectation
how many houses/neighborhoods you are going to visit
Set a time limit helps set your child up for success instead of disappointment for the Trick-or-Treat experience
How many pieces do you get to choose tonight
This helps to control the amount of candy and other treats you child may receive on Halloween
5.Donate part of all of your candy to the Military
Supportourtroops.org.
Operationgratitude.com.
Soldiersangels.org.
Operationshoebox.com.
Freedomalliance.org.
6.Use the “Switch Witch” or other trade-out for bags of candy
Have a bigger ticket item your child is interested in having that he or she is willing to trade all or part of their Halloween spoils for
After a day or a few days of access to Halloween candy, have the Switch Witch come and take the candy - leaving behind the special item
7.Have healthier snacks available at home for after the festivities
Grapes
Veggie Tray
Dried Fruit
Nuts and Seeds
Chicken Wings
Guacamole
Salsa
Cal/Mag effervescent or Electrolytes as Beverage
Etc.
8.Save the Halloween Candy to be used for treats over time
Have one piece per evening
Use for an up-coming party
Put into a pinata
9.Practice a Healthy Lifestyle year-round
When Halloween Comes, it may not be a big deal to allow your child to “splurge”
If your diet routinely incorporates good fat and protein, a colorful plate of vegetables and fruit, and limits most artificial sugars, colors and additives, your child’s body can handle a day or three of junk foods
Your child’s blood sugar will be stable, liver can eliminate toxins, small intestine can protect from absorbing unwanted particles, and large intestine can quickly push out offenders
Good physical fitness and sleep routines can help insure the body knows how to recover with ease
Well-developed relationships help children to feel safe if they are a little “out of sorts”