A Healthy Halloween

Halloween means little ghosts, goblins and superheroes will be running around with big sugar highs. While it’s every kid’s favorite holiday, it can be downright scary for parents trying to encourage their kids to eat healthy.  Heidi Skolnik, RD and nutrition consultant to the New York Giants and American School of Ballet has some realistic tips for parents to keep the candy in check but still letting the kids indulge.

• Give your child a nutritious meal before he goes trick-or-treating. A meal with nutrient rich foods and beverages like a peanut butter sandwich with a cup of 100% OJ will fill him up and make it less likely that he’ll be eating the candy before he even gets home.
• Reduce sugar. Although you should serve a full meal on Halloween night, try to avoid all unnecessary sugar that day. That way, if they do have a few treats later, they won’t run the risk of overdosing on sweet stuff.
• Let your child indulge a bit. Not allowing your child to eat her Halloween candy will just drive her to want it more. Although a low-fat diet is important for children, allowing the occasional indulgence, especially on a fun-oriented holiday like Halloween, is also important.
• Set limits on how much candy can be eaten at once. When your child returns home from trick-or-treating, ask her to pick the 10 pieces of candy that she wants to keep. Take the rest away and use them as substitutes for lunch treats or desserts.
• Have your child brush and floss his teeth thoroughly before going to bed. Although this should be done every night, it’s especially important that your child’s teeth be free of the Halloween sugar.
• Donate your leftover candy to charity. Not only will this prevent your child from continuing to eat candy for months to come, it will help teach her the value of helping others.
• Try nonedible options. Instead of giving out candy to local ghosts and goblins, consider small toys, such as temporary tattoos, stickers, crayons, small novelties, miniature magnifying glasses, plastic jewelry/decoder rings, necklaces, and fake money.