If you are anything like us, one of the biggest challenges with eating healthfully is…

…managing the sweet treats!

Especially if you have kids or grandkids, they seem to creep in from every direction…birthday parties, school events, church gatherings, friend and family gatherings — they are everywhere!

 

One of the biggest sweet treat events of them all is just around the corner…

…Halloween!

 

 

The store shelves have been loaded with Halloween candy for over a month, so the temptation is all around us.  Maybe you even planned ahead and bought Halloween candy early for your trick or treaters so you would “be prepared and get the good candy before it’s gone” only to discover that now, just days before Halloween, the candy has mysteriously disappeared…and you need to re-stock!

It’s not just Halloween we have to worry about…this “holiday” can also be considered the beginning of the holiday eating frenzy…because just around the corner are Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years!

Keep in mind, we have several coaching tips that can help:  Holiday Survival Plan, How to Enjoy Holiday Treats Without Going Overboard, how to keep it REAL and Have an Unforgettable Holiday Party, and how to make your holiday gatherings include Sides That Can Steal the Show!

We are not trying to stress you out, but want to provide some ideas how to better manage these sweet-treat temptations, starting with Halloween.

 

Here are a few tips:

 

• Make sure to set a good example!  Remember, the kids are always watching.

 

• Enjoy SOME of it!  On Halloween night, and the day after…have a pre-agreed amount of candy to enjoy…then, call it quits!

 

• Sort them out!  Have your kids sort out their favorites to keep and enjoy in the weeks after Halloween (maybe 1 or 2 pieces per day), and limit the amount to what will fit into a sandwich size Ziploc bag.  This will help them learn to be selective about their indulgences.

 

• Get cash!  As many of us have seen on Jimmy Kimmel, taking candy away from your kids, or telling them you ate it all, can have pretty traumatic effects!  What about turning candy into cash?  That is a much better idea!  The Halloween Buy Back Program is a great option…check out this inspiring video showing local dentists who pay kids cash for their candy, and then donate the candy to the military.

 

• Candy Fairy – kids can put a few pieces of candy under their pillow at night in return for a surprise in the morning, which could be money or a small toy.

 

• Donate your candy – organizations such as Operation Gratitude offer programs to send candy to troops overseas.  This gives the military a taste of home, and it also allows them to share this candy and as part of their efforts to build relationships with local children.

 

• Reverse trick or treat – let your kids dress up in their costumes and take their candy to a local nursing home and share with others.

 

• Be the change!  If you need to contribute something to a Halloween party, make something healthy and delicious that you can associate a Halloween theme with such as mandarin orange pumpkins (clementine oranges with celery stem),  banana ghosts (half peeled bananas with chocolate chip eyes), or “ants on a log” (peanut butter filled celery) with plastic spiders.  Since there will be plenty of candy, cookies and other sweet treats, everyone will appreciate your contribution!

 

If you or your kids happen to overindulge, don’t let it get you down…it is important to learn from the experience, move on and get back into your REAL food routine!

We are determined to help you conquer the upcoming holiday eating frenzy!

Watch the weekly meal ideas and coaching tips…we will continue to provide ideas on how to incorporate great-tasting REAL food into your holiday meals, sides and sweet treats.