How To Prevent Halloween from becoming a Nutritional Nightmare
Imagine sitting down to eat a five-pound bag of sugar!!! That’s exactly what many of you and your children will do on Halloween.
While Halloween is an exciting night for kids, this night does not have to scare off good nutrition habits. So, how do you keep the holiday fun but make sure that you or your children do not overdo it when it comes to candy consumption?
The Most Important Step you can Take….
Set guidelines in advance of this special night.
1. Create a Candy Plan -
YOU can help your children control their candy consumption by having them dump all of their “goodies” onto the kitchen table (or floor) and then sorting them into three different piles:
- their favorites
- the ones they think are just so-so
- and ones they don’t really care for.
The goal of the three piles is to allow kids the chance to designate their favorites and give you the chance to combine candy into smaller packages so it’s not all eaten at one time.
2. Don’t Forget Dinner
-Some kids feel the need to try to eat all the candy on Halloween night, making for a barrage of calories, not to mention upset stomachs. Eating a full, nutritious dinner before trick-or-treating will also help reduce your little one’s appetite for Halloween handouts.
3. The Power of Choice
-Give your children the opportunity to learn about making healthier choices. Teach them to read and understand nutrition labels on their candy treats. When it’s their choice to “have” or “have not,” the temptations are usually not as great.
Focus on portion control rather than forbidding a little splurge! By allowing treats in moderation rather than eliminate them, children learn the importance of balanced eating will be better-equipped to manage their own diet as adults4. The Halloween Fairy –A creative twist to minimizing the sugar intake.
When the trick or treating is all over, spread the candy out on the kitchen table and have your child choose a few goodies he/she would like to keep and eat.
Leave the rest of the candy in the middle of the kitchen table for the Halloween Fairy to take away. When your child wakes in the morning, the candy is gone and a surprise is sitting in its place.
Healthier Alternatives to Candy:
Goldfish
Fruit Rollups
Mini Boxes of Dried Fruit
Single-serving packets of microwave popcorn
Single-serving boxes of cereal
Cheese sticks
Packages of trail mix
Ginger snapsPackage of instant cocoa mix
Granola barsIndividually wrapped strips of beef jerky
Fruit cups or applesauce cups
Enjoy and have fun…..that is the secret of a great Halloween!
Your Friend and Coach,
Marty Ozaeta
Velocity Performance Training
831.869.5348
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