Halloween is a tough time of year. There's a lot of candy floating around, and surplus candy afterward. If you are anything like me, willpower seems to take a vacation starting mid-October until January 5th, when all the goodies run out.
Believe it or not, I don't fall in the same bandwagon of other dietitians, recommending people pass out toys instead of candy. Many of us grew up with that one time per year where we worked hard on our costumes, went door to door, displaying our ghastly, ghoulish masks, painted faces, wigs and outlandish accessories. It was fun to count and compare the loot we got with those of our peers. Why let today's child miss out on this?
In fact, most Americans, including children, get more than half their daily calories from ultra-processed foods. Chips, sweet cereals and pastries, fast food, sweet drinks, and pizza are staples for many Americans. Considering this high intake of processed foods, allowing candy for a few days in October isn’t our biggest failure when feeding our kids. Instead, we’re not teaching them how to eat well or understand their appetite the rest of the year. Let's not cut out Halloween as a result of this.
But what do we do to reduce the munchies and stave off the cravings for those brightly colored wrappers that remind us of our childhood? There's a few simple tips and tricks to keep yourself (and the little ghouls and goblins that you love) in check:
Whatever method you choose in the end, just know that your Dietitians are here with more ideas any time you need them. Go ahead and send a message!