Healthy Halloween

All about the pumpkin: from their first
Halloween, make the holiday less about the
candy and more about other elements.

Can you make Halloween healthy?  Sure, but why would you want to?  If your family eats well the majority of the time, then splurge with a wild abandon because Halloween is about being wonderfully wicked.  In fact, some suggest that if you eat well 80% of the time that you should not feel bad about 20% of your diet being questionable, but regardless of your ratio of healthy vs not, Halloween should be one time when you give up the ghost and indulge.
Any parent whose child was up half the night after a successful trick-or-treat outing is cursing the above and dreading a long and frustrating night, so below are some suggestions for keeping Halloween happy for children and mentally healthy for parents:


-All Hallow's Eve is not a day, but an evening, which means that candy commences after a day of a normal diet.


-Prepare a filling dinner with plenty of protein and fiber to send them out full.  If your children eat familiar foods more readily, then stick to a whole wheat pasta tossed with chicken and vegetables and parm, but if you want to make dinner a part of the holiday, make them a veggie or veggie and shrimp omelet in the shape of a pumpkin (use a metal cookie cutter to hold the ingredients in place, but remember that it will be hot).  Whatever you choose, make it early and hold fast to the rule that dinner will be consumed before costumes are donned. 


-Limit the time or number of houses to be visited based upon the child's age, but make those limits clear and remind children of the limit (e.g. "you only have thirty minutes left to trick-or-treat"), as it may help to avoid a meltdown.  Another way to accomplish this is to stick to a normal walking route, so that they are familiar with how rapidly home is approaching.


-Upon your return home, offer them something to drink as they peel out of their costumes, as liquid is a quick and easy way to temporarily fill them up.


-Before you leave the house to trick-or-treat, tell children how many pieces of candy they will be allowed to eat and upon your return, help them to select those pieces, considering candy ingredients (studies have proven that sugar does not cause hyperactivity but artificial coloring may and chocolate has caffeine, even if in small quantities, but help steer toward selections that do not contain whatever ingredient sends your child into overdrive) and safety (do not allow them to consume candy that has been opened, the rapper tampered with, etc.), but you will be much more successful with this if you make it into a fun game and not gruff dad inspecting for razor blades and mom tearing the best candy out of clenched fists.     


-If possible, stick to their regular bedtime, but certainly their bedtime routine.  Give them adequate warning of when they will need to start getting ready, and consider allowing a few extra minutes for removing costumes, makeup, etc.  Make sure that they brush their teeth well and rinse, so that candy is not sitting on their teeth all night.


-If you have slightly older children, give them something to look forward to after trick-or-treating and as a way to both unwind and remove their focus from the candy bags, such as a short movie.  My favorite: It's a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.  It is a great excuse to break out a classic and at twenty-five minutes, it will not turn into a late night.


-If taking off the costume is your child’s sticking point, consider another opportunity for your child to wear their costume, as it will remove the novelty of wearing it on Halloween, or more importantly taking it off Halloween night.


-Once the child is in bed, turn off the porch lights and blow out the pumpkin, so that your child can go to sleep and not feel like they are missing the action.


-Clearly communicate when and how much candy your child may consume each day (e.g. one piece after lunch and afternoon snack), and throw out what is left after a week (or use my husband's solution of raiding the bag Halloween night and hiding the loot like a dog with an absconded bone.  Warning: this only works for so many years, but our eighteen-year-old still loves to tell the stories.).


Halloween will never be the healthiest or easiest holiday on the calendar, but there are small things that you can do to manage the junk food intake and preserve your sanity, but this balance rests upon realistic expectations of both parents and children; children need to know that they cannot visit 100 homes and get six bags of candy and parents need to brace themselves for extra energy and the fact that children are not going to give up their candy for flax seeds and rice cakes.  Your parents probably did not ask this of you, so just grin and remember that you were warned about how much fun payback can be!

Related posts from Healthy.Happy.Simple.:
Managing treats and sweets for the entire family. 

Understanding the basics on reading food labels.

Simple steps for improving your diet.

Two quick ways to add vegetables to a toddler's diet.