Halloween! The one day of the year when kids get to embrace their imaginations, become their character of choice, and collect all the free neighborhood candy they can carry. Unfortunately, the good-natured intentions behind this holiday don't negate the health implications that come along with a pillowcase full of candy. In case you were wondering, an average pillowcase can hold approximately 1,690 pieces of candy. That's a lot of sugar for one pancreas to handle.
Halloween can be a fun holiday without making it all about extreme candy consumption. There is no need to reinforce that special occasions are for binging, American culture does a great job of that as it is (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July cookouts, birthdays, the list goes on). The way we associate food with celebration stacks the odds against our kids for their health in the future while they grow up surrounded by the “it's a happy occasion, GATHER ALL TREATS!” mindset. As food quality diminishes and processed, junk, and convenience food availability soars, every little health habit reinforcement counts. So rather than approach this Saturday with “have all the candy you want until it's gone, it's HALLOWEEN,” consider implementing these approaches to your holiday fun this year.
- Anticipate the adventure – If you know that night will involve a lot of candy exchange and the possibility of consumption, take that into consideration at mealtimes that day. Since Halloween falls on Saturday and not a school day this year, you may have more control over their meals and snacks. Keep sugar intake lower throughout the day (water instead of sodas or juices, snacks based on veggies rather than fruits, meals built on protein, fiber, and fat rather than starchy carbs like breads, pastas, and potatoes) so that if for some crazy reason your kiddos end up having a few pieces of candy that night it doesn't increase their sugar intake of the day quite as dramatically.
- Feed the little monsters – Before you take your costumed characters out for a night on the town, make the time to eat a nutritious meal. Of course they will be eager to get out and strut their costumed stuff, but hitting the streets with an empty stomach will leave them no choice but to snack on their collected treats along the way. Before you know it dinner is chocolate and chewy candy and the night plummets from a sugar high to a belly ache.
- Sort the loot at the end of the night – we've all been there. You get home at the end of your trick or treat experience to a bag full of all kinds of goodies – the candy worth gold and the candy you can't believe people actually think is worth handing out. It's nobody's favorite but you know if it stays in e house it will be eaten. Use their end of the night rush of excitement (if the miles-long walk didn't wear them out) to relive their experience as you go through the loot and encourage them to be picky. After all, the candy should be a treat, not a staple, so encourage them to consider whether they really love that flavor of that tiny lollipop enough for it to trump the good stuff.
- Have a plan – if we eat one piece of candy from our average sized pillowcase per day, that Halloween bounty will last over four and a half years. At my house, if I had a bag of candy sitting there for four and a half years, I'd be hard pressed to commit to a one-a-day limit for the duration. Make a plan with your little ones BEFORE trick or treating that when you come home with your bag of awesomeness, they may have one piece a day for ten days, or whatever deal you find to be reasonable. Offering them freedom in their framework (whatever piece you want, whatever time of day, choose two of these size OR one of these size, etc) can help them to feel less restricted and more in command of their goodies. Bonus: this offers the kids some practice in prioritizing and discipline – because who really WANTS to ration candy?
- Look for teal pumpkins – a couple of years ago, a trend began with Halloween that houses who opt to hand out non-sugary treats (glow sticks, temporary tattoos, rubber spiders, etc) would place a teal-painted pumpkin or a poster displaying one on their porch. That way families can see them as they approach the houses and have an alternative to candy. Who doesn't love glow sticks?
- Follow through – when it's all said and done, the memories from Halloween aren't dependent upon the third week of residual candy tempting the family until Thanksgiving and beyond. Make it more of a holiday memory than a lifestyle by following through with your timeline and getting rid of ALL of the candy leftover by that date. If it feels wasteful, remind yourself that your body is not a garbage disposal and the positive effects of avoiding the sugar for your health (and physique) are worth the candy sacrifice. However, if it still breaks your heart to throw all that hard-earned candy in the trash, there is actually a way to donate it. Operation Gratitude is an organization that will take your Halloween candy through November 15th and send it off to our troops overseas. So you are brightening someone's day, AND pawning the sugar off on someone more likely to burn it off than your poor desk-anchored school kids. More information can be found at www.operationgratitude.
So deck the kids out, round them up, and prepare them for a thrilling All Hallows' Eve. Be sure to discuss your plan ahead of time. Find your way to distinguish this holiday experience from your normal lifestyle and these activities will become their fond memories as they look back on those special days when they could loot the neighborhood and enjoy only the best of what was offered – without going to bed miserable every night after Halloween.
Happy Halloween!
Jessie Harrell
Jessie@MoultonKettlebellClub.com
Freedomfit (www.Freedomfit121.com)
