We love Halloween, watching the parade of neighborhood kids going door-to-door trick or treating. We enjoy indulging in some of our favorite treats ourselves. But it’s an annual rite of passage that screams for moderation.
Did you know that the typical pumpkin of Halloween candy can have 365 terrifying teaspoons of sugar and a frightful 11,000 calories? That’s the sugar equivalent of 12 double-scoop ice cream cones and the same number of calories recommended for a child to consume in seven days! Just imagine the belly aches!
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Strong4Life wellness experts have some tips to help families enjoy the fun of Halloween without lingering belly aches and lasting health impacts:
Eat a Healthy Dinner: To curb the temptation to snack on candy while trick or treating, eat a healthy dinner as a family before hitting the neighborhood streets. If you don’t have time to prepare a full meal, pick up a rotisserie chicken and whip up a quick bowl of brown rice, or make a peanut butter and banana sandwich.
Introduce the Switch Witch: Instead of tempting your family for days, let your kids select 3-5 candy favorites and then leave the rest for the Switch Witch to replace it with a toy like a soccer ball, jump rope or hula hoop, while the kids are sleeping.
Consider Non-Candy Treats: Consider handing out non-candy treats to the trick or treaters coming to your door. We like stickers, temporary tattoos and glow sticks, just to name a few of our go-to prizes.
New Parents: For new parents, Halloween is one of the cutest holidays of all. What’s more adorable than a baby football player or lion cub? However, Strong4Life experts advise against letting your baby or toddler indulge in the candy part of Halloween. In addition to many types of candy being choking hazards, the American Heart Association warns against introducing kids, 2 and under, to added sugar. Because kids have a strong preference for sweet flavors, if they are introduced to added sugars as an infant or toddler, it encourages this sweet tooth.
