Some parents cringe this time of year anticipating the freakish amount of candy their little goblins will bring home Halloween night.
Parents, fear no more, there are tricks to these treats and even alternatives to pass out without fear of scaring children away.
1 Don’t skip dinner.
Halloween night can be busy, especially when it falls on a weeknight. Make time to serve a nutritious meal before breaking out the candy.
2 Diversify. Let’s face it, left to their own devices; kids will go to every door in the neighborhood to collect as much candy as their bag will hold. Encourage kids to spend a good portion of the night passing out candy at home. This will shorten the amount of time they are out collecting candy of their own and ultimately, limit the amount of candy they bring home.Encourage kids to take just one piece of candy at each house and use that rule at your own as well.
3 Manage the stash.
Once the kids bring their candy home, have your kiddos go through and pick out their absolute favorites. Get rid of the rest right away by bringing it to work, or giving it to a church or a donation center. Remember, it’s candy, not broccoli, so if it is in the house, someone is likely to eat it— whether they like it or not. Think about what candies can be set aside for later. For example, chocolate bars can easily be frozen, so the kids can have them as occasional treats later rather than gorging all at once.
4 Offer a trade. Consider collecting alternative items at home such as Halloween pencils, erasers, stickers or temporary tattoos. Allow your child to trade their Halloween candy for non-candy items.
These are some great ways to cut down on your child's candy consumption, but we have an even better idea.....
5. Donate your candy to Operation Gratitude through the Halloween Candy Buy Back program.
Operation Gratitude places the donated candy in the care packages that they distribute to the troops. These care packages are a great way to brighten a soldier's day and bring a smile to their face.
Visit our dental office during our fifth annual Halloween Candy Buy Back with your donation and you will receive $1 for every pound of candy donated.
MAKE A STATEMENT
You may be wondering what could I possibly pass out besides candy? So glad you asked, how about one of these alternatives?:
•Bubbles.
•Vampire teeth.
•Rubber snakes, spiders, or other creepy
crawlies.
•Glow bracelets.
•Crazy straws.
•Toothbrushes
For those of you who are not ready to part ways with handing out candy. Here are some healthier suggestions to keep in mind this Halloween season:
Non-Chocolate alternatives: Consider lower calorie, non-chocolate candies, such as Jolly Ranchers, which only contain about 23 calories per candy and are longer lasting than most of their chocolate counterparts. Mike and Ike candies are also a better choice. They only contain 50 calories and 0 grams of fat, and the best part is the box holds multiple little candies for you to enjoy!
Sugar-free bubble gum:
This fun candy will keep your kids distracted as they chew away and blow bubbles.
Dark Chocolate: If you do go for chocolate, try this type which is rich in antioxidants. Also, dark chocolate generally has less sugar and is lower in carbs than milk chocolate.
Give some of these tricks a shot, and you won’t be as frightened by your child’s sugar intake this Halloween season.
Reference:
Nylaan Dental Team
Grand Rapids Press
Brooke DeBeck
Grand Valley Health Plan nutritionist
