Tips For a Healthy Halloween

No real surprise that candy sales are highest during Halloween. Every year our keiki dress up and hit the streets hoping to hit the candy jackpot. Halloween is a great opportunity to talk to our keiki about food and the way we take care of our bodies.Topics can include portion control, moderation, excessive sugar intake, food safety and dental care. 

Halloween is a tough holiday for us healthcare providers who advocate for nutritious eating habits. Though we as children, and even as adults, enjoy all the fun and candy, we discourage the excessive amounts given and eaten this time of year. 

I want to offer some tips for keeping you and your family healthy this Halloween that won't totally devastate your children and spoil all their fun.  

• Avoid sticky candies because the sugar sticks to the teeth more
• Limit sour candies because the acidity can damage our tooth enamel
• Brush and floss daily!!!!!
• Don't let your child eat candy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Choose one time during the day to eat candy. Moderation is key!
• Though it is your child's hard earned candy - they should still ask permission to eat and should be a dessert not a snack.
• Donate or toss any extra or unwanted candy, they won't notice. Maybe even freeze some for a later time. 
• Provide healthier treats for trick-or-treaters such as low calorie snacks 
• Provide non-edible treats such as stickers, erasers, temporary tattoos, playdoh, or homemade slime
• No snacking while out trick-or-treating, you should check all contents of your child's goody bag before eating. Throw away anything that looks suspicious or tampered with.
• To help prevent snacking, give your child a light meal or snack before you head out
• Be aware of choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, or hard candies
• ALL THESE TIPS GO FOR PARENTS AS WELL ;)

If your child's school has a no candy rule, please remind your child not to bring their favorite Halloween Candy with them next week. Even if your school does not have a written policy, bringing excessive amounts of candy to school is always discouraged. Lets keep our kids healthy and ready to learn at school!

Enjoy your weekend fun!