Healthy Smile Series ~ What can you do with all that Halloween Candy?

Your children did their Trick or Treating all over town and now you need a "trick" to make all that candy disappear before it goes to their, or your, waistline; causes a bellyache or tooth decay. 

We have the answer.... 

Our dental office is holding our fifth annual Halloween Candy buy back. 

Our tooth fairy will be giving  $ 1 gold coins for every pound of candy that is donated.

The Halloween Candy Buy Back event will be held Monday, November 2nd  4 - 6:00 pm at our dental office. 5011 Plainfield Ave NE, Grand Rapids MI 


The candy collected will be sent to the troops in the Middle East through the Operation Gratitude program.

Every child attending our event received a new toothbrush and other fun treats as well as those shiny $ 1 coins.

Our office collects over 300 pounds of candy annually. More than 1300 pounds of candy has been collected by our dental office since we began working with Operation Gratitude.

Operation Gratitude  puts together care packages for the troops to put smiles on their faces and UPS has generously helped ship the candy to Operation Gratitude free of charge!  

We love the opportunity to show our Veterans that we haven't forgotten about them! 

Healthy Smile Series ~ Try these healthy tricks for your Halloween treats

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

Staying safe this Halloween

Are your little ghosts and goblins heading out for trick or- treating? Check out these tips from the American Red Cross to ensure their safety: 

1. Make sure costumes and shoes fit well to avoid falls, and though they might be excited, make sure your trick-or-treaters don’t run. 

2. Never let your child go trick-or-treating alone. 

3. Teach them rules of the road: Stay out of streets and only cross at corners or crosswalks. 

4. Remind them to be aware of lit candles, especially with billowy costumes. 

5. When they get home, check through their bags for open packages or choking hazards. 

6. If you are not going out with your kids, make sure you know the route they will take and send them with a flashlight. 

7. Only visit homes with lit porches, and remind your trick-or-treaters never to enter a stranger’s house.

Once the kids return with their bounty, it’s time to provide some healthier snacks to prevent a candy bonanza.

Try these tasty recipes:

ZOMBIE FINGER SANDWICHES 

Ingredients: 

•Whole wheat bread 

•Thinly sliced bananas 

•Cream cheese, softened 

•Almond slices (sliced to look like nails) 

Steps: Spread cream cheese over slice of bread, top with bananas and cover with another slice of bread.

Remove crust and cut bread into “fingers.” Cut the tip of each into a point. Place a small amount of cream cheese on the back of an almond slice and place at the end of the pointed finger. Serve to your hungry horde. 

MONSTER MOUTHS 

Ingredients: 

•Green apples  

•Peanut butter 

•Almond slivers 

Steps: Cut apples in half and discard the core. Cut each half in half again. Then, cut each quarter into wedges, using a crinkle cutter.

Spread peanut butter along the wide edge of a slice and top it with another, aligning the crinkled edges.

Insert almond slivers as fangs and serve.

reference: Metro Health ~ Grand Rapids Press  ~ American Red Cross


If your little Trick or Treater receives too much candy come to our

HALLOWEEN CANDY BUY BACK

Our dental office is holding our fourth annual Halloween Candy buy back. 

The tooth fairy will be giving  $ 1 for every pound of candy that is donated Monday, November 4th  3 - 6:00 pm.

The candy collected will be sent to the troops in the Middle East through the Operation Gratitude program.

Every child turning in their Halloween candy will receive a new toothbrush and other treats.

For more info visit our website.

  Brian S. Nylaan, D.D.S.
  5011 Plainfield Avenue NE   
  Grand Rapids MI 49525-1050