So Much Candy!!! What to Do???
By: Lisa Gilbert
For many kids Halloween is the BEST event of the year! Such a fun opportunity to dress up, socialize with friends and neighbours and run around after dark. It’s a super-scary time of year and so can be the amount of candy our kids can come home with! What to to?? Do you let them eat it all? Do you limit? Are they in charge or are you?
There are many things we can do to allow your kids to really enjoy their treats without going overboard. Here are a few tips that might help you kids (and you!) through the ups and downs of Halloween sugar management:
Before the Big Event… make sure they eat a big dinner. This will help them avoid the temptation of digging into the bag for a little snack between houses; something we want them to avoid especially if we haven’t had a chance to examine the stash
After all the Hard Work… let them enjoy! Nothing better than getting home after a tiring night of knocking on doors and dodging fellow trick-or-treaters than dumping all the ‘loot’ out on the floor to take inventory. Allow them to enjoy their treats the night of, but set a cut off time, for example no sweets after 8pm depending on the child’s age.
The Sweet Cupboard… It’s never a good idea to let kids store their candy in their bedrooms, so think of designating a specific cupboard in the kitchen for the treats. It’s much more difficult to monitor those late-night snacks, and besides, no one likes to find half-eaten candy or melted chocolate bars under the bed!
Trade Ya! Another interesting idea is to consider offering a trade with your child; five cents for every piece of candy. This can be especially helpful if you feel they have come home with way too much.
Opportunity to Chat… Halloween is actually a great chance to speak with your kids about making better choices for good health. What’s appropriate fuel for your body, what are ‘often’ foods and what are ‘sometimes’ treats. How do they feel after eating. Do they feel hungry or just want to enjoy the taste for a few minutes.
Allow them to have a treat or so but have a limit on how long that candy can stick around the house. After a few days, the least favourite candies can be thrown out, or put away to use for cake decorations later in the year. Halloween is a special time just like any other holiday and just like any other holiday it doesn't last forever.
And always make sure they have a good, healthy balanced meal with some protein before treats so they don’t experience that huge spike in blood sugar, only to have a total crash a half hour later.
And when all is said and done and you feel your kids could use a good, healthy dose of REAL food… COOKSMART is here! We’re all about encouraging good habits and fostering an interest in fresh, healthy food.
We hope everyone has a SAFE & HAPPY Halloween!
