5 Tips for a Healthier Halloween

A healthier Halloween, you say? Bear with me because I’m not totally crazy. Halloween comes around once a year. So in my opinion, it’s totally fine to let your little monsters run door-to-door and collect all the Halloween candy they can con out of the neighbors. My 3-year-old will be joining in the fun at a very select number of houses. And I’m sure she’s going to be more than thrilled with the five pieces of candy I’ll probably let her acquire. So yeah, a day of candy isn’t going to do anybody in.

But that being said, I thought these tips for a healthier Halloween from Healthyroads were interesting — and I’ll definitely be using a couple of the tips, particularly No. 3. After all, with 3-year-olds, you don’t really need the sugar highs and crashes as their emotions are enough to handle without that added ingredient!

5 Tips for a Healthier Halloween

1. Give out a different kind of treat. Instead of candy, why not give out Halloween-themed toys, stickers, stick-on tattoos, erasers, finger puppets or glow sticks? Many stores offer low-cost Halloween favors that will please your trick-or-treaters in a fun and sugar-free way.

2. Reduce container size. Instead of sending kids out with a pillowcase to collect candy, give them small, decorated bags instead. They’ll fill their bags sooner and come home with fewer temptations.

3. Portion the candy. With so many candy choices, children may be tempted to splurge the first night. Set a limit on how many pieces they may eat each day. Freeze some of the treats; this helps with portions and also helps extend the Halloween fun!

4. Choose favorites. Ask children to choose their favorite candies, then pay them a penny for each treat they are willing to give up. Donate those treats or save them in the freezer for a rainy day.

5. Throw a healthy Halloween party. Instead of sending your children trick-or-treating, host a party instead. That way, you can choose the treats they’ll get. Serve apple cider, popcorn balls, frozen fruit bars, festive pretzels, raisins or granola bars instead of candy. Play fun games to keep kids active.

This year, my husband was in charge of buying the Halloween candy. It’s helping me bypass it because it’s candy I’m not that interested in eating. That’s the tip from this Fit Bottomed Mama: Buy candy you don’t like for the trick-or-treaters. Less temptation!

Do you try to make Halloween healthier? Or are  you good with a little October indulgence? —Erin