Halloween means bags filled with candy. Instead of denying kids their annual quest for candy and treats, parents can make the Halloween season a learning opportunity about healthy eating.
Let children be allowed to enjoy Halloween. The most important thing is not what they do on one day; it’s what they do every day of the year. Healthy eating is about balance and encouraging good eating habits now so your child can eat better throughout his or her life. Help your child build a lifetime of healthy eating habits by trying some of these healthy Halloween tricks:
Eat treats sparingly. All foods can fit into eating habits. Teach your children that they can have a treat after they have eaten their meal, with foods from all the five food groups including breads, fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat.
Eat before you trick-or-treat. Serve your child a nutritious meal or snack before going trick-or-treating so he/she won’t be tempted to dig into a bag of candy before he/she gets home.
Set limits. Set limits on how much candy can be eaten each day. Parents are in charge of what kids eat. Divide candy into weekly and daily portions - when it’s all gone, children need to wait until the next day or week. Let your kids pick out a few of their favorite candy pieces to have each day.
Trick-or-Treat! Think beyond traditional candy for your Halloween treats. Offer kids non-sweet alternatives from the list below:
| Clif Kid Twisted Fruit Ropes | Full Circle 100-calorie snacks | Cheese and cracker packages |
| Chewing gum | Boxes of animal crackers | Cheese sticks |
| Juice boxes (100% fruit juice) | Granola or cereal bars | Small packages of pretzels and popcorn |
| Small packages of sunflower seeds or nuts | Peanuts in the shell | Individual cereal boxes |
| Balloons | Stickers | Crayons |
| Comic or coloring books | Pencils | Silly Putty or bubbles |
| Whistles | Rubber spiders or worms | |
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