Simple Tips for a Happy, Healthy halloween
It’s Halloween time! So we're going to talk about Halloween and Halloween candy, of course.
And treats, and sugar, and all of the things that come along with it. And of course, how to navigate that with our kids (and with ourselves) and what to do about the overwhelming influx of sugar and candy that typically begins to creep in (see what I did there?!) to our homes from now through the end of the year.
And of course, you’ll find some simple tips and tools to help you feel more in control this Halloween season.
Because the truth is, we have all of these holidays like Halloween that are so incredibly centered around food (and typically not very nourishing foods). And it can be really hard to remind ourselves that that's not all that they’re about.
Now when we think Halloween in particular, candy is usually one of the first things that we tend to think about, right? Especially when you're a kid.
They wait the WHOLE month long leading up to just one day at the very end of the month. And at the very end of the day of the last day of the month… they finally get to go out and get the candy. There's all this build up for it and it's become this monumental reward that we work so hard for and wait so patiently for. And so it can feel very powerful.
But we have to remember that it's only as powerful as we let it be. And that Halloween can be about other things as well.
For example, who doesn’t love the costumes?! That's a really big thing for my kids at this time of year. Checking out the Halloween stores and costume section of Target is an outing, in and of itself. So we do that a lot and we let them explore that often. It’s just not Halloween in this house without a couple of trips to the Spirit store.
Part of the Halloween fun is also in the decorations. I love watching our neighbors in the neighborhood and in other neighborhoods put their Halloween decorations up. It's always lots of fun to point out to each other whenever we see a new one pop up.
There's all kinds of Halloween crafts that you can do and movies to watch with your kids. There are so many good Halloween movies for all ages (I see you, Hocus Pocus 2), from little kids to tweens and teens… there's all kinds of stuff out there to watch! Who doesn’t love to snuggle down and stay inside on a crisp Fall evening with the family with a bowl of popcorn and some hot apple cider? Mmmm…. Halloween movies are definitely a big part of Halloween for us.
And of course, there’s all kinds of other fun outdoor activities as well to go out and enjoy. Visiting a pumpkin patch, going for a hayride (or maybe even a haunted hayride, if you have older kids and they're into that kind of thing), corn mazes, pumpkin carving… all of these festive things can make Halloween season really fun and exciting. It can be a great way to enjoy more about the holiday than just the candy. And it helps our kids appreciate these things as well.
Candy is just one small detail. It doesn't have to be the center focus of the entire holiday. It's up to us to help our kids see the whole picture and not just fixate on that candy (don’t worry, marketing and commercials will do all of that for us already). We as parents can empower our kids to think otherwise and to enjoy the other aspects of the holiday as well.
Ok, now that we’ve talked about everything else, it’s time to finally talk about ALLL that candy. Let’s dive into some simple tips for avoiding the sugar rush (and sugar crash) this October.
Tip #1
It’s a great idea to try and limit the candy that we do eat during Halloween season to just the actual day of Halloween. Or, maybe Halloween plus a few days after, if you’d prefer. But putting a limit on the time that we’re actually going to be enjoying all that candy can help reduce the amount we consume by not letting it hang around all month long.
The best way to do this is by not buying any candy until right before Halloween. Because I'm sure we’ve all experienced that the bag of candy that we buy at the beginning of the month to save and make last all of October… usually doesn't actually make it all the way through to Halloween. Unfortunately, waiting until the last minute to buy something nowadays typically isn't the wisest choice because things run out quickly and then we have to scramble or pay a lot more for them. So, if you prefer to buy it earlier to avoid all of that stress, keep it put away where you, or at the very least your kids, can't find it or reach it. And this means keeping the bags of candy sealed, not pouring them out into your candy bowl and setting them on your kitchen table for everyone to see and snack on as they walk past (because it's too easy to snack on that Reese's cup when it’s just sitting there begging for your attention).
We also have to remember that candy is absolutely everywhere this time of year, not just in our homes. Even if you're trying to keep it out of your house the best that you can, you’ll still find it everywhere else. There might be a little bowl at the checkout desk at the library or at the front office of your kids school. Our dentist office even had a bowl of candy out when we were there last week.
Helping our kids limit the amount of those things that they indulge in when it's everywhere in front of us is really important.
Tip #2
Hands down, THE best way to be successful with this is to talk to our kids about this at home. Talking to our kids about the why behind why we don't eat certain things, or maybe why we don't eat them all of the time is so important. And it's an important step that we often forget to do.
Kids want to know why. And it's our job to teach them and help them understand. They will be much more willing to cooperate and work with us when they understand why we're doing it.
Telling them the candy is “bad" for them isn't enough. In fact, that often makes kids want it more simply because they can't have it. Teaching them why can help them understand.
Here are some simple conversation starters for talking to your kids about candy & sugar, and the effect that they have on our bodies:
Candy doesn't help us grow strong. It is completely void of nutrients and doesn't help our bodies in any way.
Candy doesn't help our brains to think or do well in school. Or when we're playing outside with our friends.
The sugar, oils, artificial colors, and flavors that are in candy weaken our immune system. They negatively affect our mood and our behavior and even our mental health. They even negatively affect our digestive system.
Not to mention, all those sugar highs and lows that come along with it.
If we’re honest, candy just doesn't make us feel very good.
And maybe that's one of the most important things that you can help your kids relate to. When we eat really healthy, nourishing foods with lots of nutrients they make us feel really good. We have plenty of energy to go play for a long time. We sleep really well through the night. We feel great and our bodies feel happy. Anyone who's ever eaten way too much sugar in one sitting can agree that we certainly don’t feel our best afterwards. Helping your kids connect those dots can really help paint that picture for them too.
This conversation that you have with your kids may vary based on their age. As far as how many details you go into and kind of how it all works, but it's an important conversation to have nonetheless.
Tip #3:
Try to limit the amount of candy that is consumed before Halloween. So for example, when we were at the dentist's office, my kids picked a little trinkets from the toy box instead if a piece of candy. Helping support our kids and teaching them that just because it's there doesn't mean that we have to choose it. And that's a really important thing for us to remind ourselves as well.
Tip #4
Limit the amount of extra sugars that you and your kids are eating to help balance out the sugar that they may be getting in candy or treats from school, friends, etc. This means things like sodas, juices, extra cookies or treats in their lunches. If you know that they're going to be getting something at school, maybe they're having a party or they're going on a field trip where there might be treats or something like that… don’t offer these other unnecessary treats at home so you can help balance that out for them.
Tip #5
When we are eating candy, (this especially goes for Halloween night) make sure that it's after a full, nutrient dense meal.
Two reasons for this: Number 1, we are way more likely to eat more sugar when we're hungry. So being full and having a good meal in us can really help limit how much sugar we're eating.
And Number 2, having good food in our bellies means that our body is getting all of those good nutrients before the sugar. This can even help with that “sugar high” feeling that we get when we're eating a ton of sugar, especially on an empty stomach.
Tip #6
After Halloween is over, decide if you'd like to limit the amount of candy that your kids get to keep from trick or treating. We do this in our house every single year. The amount that you keep can vary from family to family. You can choose a number of pieces everyone is allowed to keep, or you can pick a container that they're allowed to fill.
This is what we do in our house. We give our kids a small bowl, and they're allowed to keep whatever they can fit in there. It can be helpful to involve the kids in this decision since it will help them feel like they’re more in control of their treats and a part of the conversation.
As far as getting rid of the candy you’re not keeping, there are several options… But my personal favorite is simply to throw it away.
I know this sounds wasteful, but like we mentioned before, candy doesn’t do anything good for our bodies. Giving it away to others isn’t going to help them any more than it’s helping us.
If you feel better donating it somewhere, feel free to do that instead. But, if you’re looking for permission to toss it, here you go!
Throw. That. Candy. Away! Guilt-free.
You can always use a little trick like the Switch Witch to help motivate your kids to part with some of their treasured candy, especially if you have really little ones who may not be quite old enough to grasp all of the not-so-great things candy does to our body I mentioned above. This is where you leave your extra candy out in a bowl overnight and the witch comes and SWITCHES their candy for a toy or book instead.
I hope you found these tips helpful and you and your family have a wonderful, spooky, and nourishing Halloween!
Before you go, make sure to grab your copy of my Healthy Halloween Treats recipe book - absolutely FREE.
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