Candy: The Trick is How You Treat

Small changes teach healthy habits without spoiling the fun for kids. Get inspired by library books and use these practical tips from Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods to make your Halloween a little less scary for your health!

While Halloween is every child’s dream holiday, it can be a parent’s nightmare. This year, local health coalition Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods suggests ways to teach children about healthy eating without depriving them of coveted Halloween treats.

To prevent children from candy gorging and stop the candy tug-of-war:

• Eat a full meal before trick-or-treating. Full from a healthy dinner, children will have less room in their stomachs to gorge on candy.
• Pick a few favorite candy pieces and get rid of the rest. Teach kids the importance of moderation and the value of giving back. Donate the rest of your candy to American troops through programs like www.HalloweenCandyBuyBack.com.
• Set a “treat time” post-Halloween. Eating candy should not be an all-day feast. Set a candy-eating time after a big meal for a few days after Halloween until all the candy is gone. This also stops everyday begging for candy and continual searching around the house to find the hidden candy.
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  Give trick-or-treaters stamps, stickers, notepads or other trinkets instead of candy for a healthier holiday!

  Give trinkets instead of candy. Model healthy behavior by passing out bubbles, Halloween stickers, bouncy balls, crayons, or other toys found at discount or dollar stores.

• Don’t let Halloween be the only time you walk the neighborhood together. Adults and children today do not get enough activity. Only 19.5% of Shawnee County adults are participating in the recommended level of physical activity, which includes 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, and muscle-strengthening activities that involved all major muscle groups two or more times per week, according to 2013 BRFSS data. “Practice” your route with a walk in advance.

“Create healthier traditions when you celebrate with your family. My kids look forward to giving glow-in-the-dark bracelets to our trick-or-treaters each year.  Together, choose healthy eating and active living every day, not just for special occasions,” Lissa Staley, Health Information Librarian at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. "Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods is working to have healthy families in Shawnee County."