Tips for Healthy Trick-or-Treating

Trick or Treat, smell my feet, give me something healthy to eat! So, that is not the original version of the song. But, I do work with pediatric patients and this is a common question during the latter part of the year. With all the celebrations that occur in the latter part of the calendar year, one of my most frequently asked questions is “how do I eat healthy during the holidays?”.  It is Halloween or Fall Festival time. So, here are a couple tips for eating healthy with candy.



Snack right

• Make sure your kiddos are well-fed before going trick-or-treating. This can help prevent meltdowns and decrease the amount of candy they “need” while trick-or-treating.

Travel light

• Have your children carry a small trick-or-treat bag. Once it is full, you can stop trick-or-treating. And, it can save the adults from carrying around huge sacks of candy for multiple children. It also allows for you to be finished trick-or-treating with less candy.

Set boundaries

• You are the parent, so you are allowed to parent your kids. One part of parenting is setting healthy boundaries. These boundaries are helpful to prevent the ever dreaded candy tummy ache.
• Choose a small zip-top bag or a set number of pieces of candy for your child to fill with their favorites. 
• Also, it may be helpful to set a number of pieces of candy to eat per day. 

Share

• “It is better to give than receive.” Sharing candy is a great way to teach this lesson. After your child has chosen their favorite candy from the mother-load they received from trick-or-treating, they may choose who to share their candy with. Family (aka mom and dad), siblings, cousins, relatives, neighbors, or friends at school. 

Trade

• Offer your child a chance to trade-in candy for a non-food prize or outing. For example, 10 pieces of candy gets them a small toy, stickers, pencils, erasers, side walk chalk, crayons, coloring books, or bubbles. For bigger prizes, 50 pieces gets them a trip to the zoo, children’s museum, or movies.

Have some fun, healthy snacks

• I have seen some pretty cute fall snacks lately. Stayed tuned for tomorrow's post for healthy snacks!

Hope these tips are helpful to you! Have a happy and safe candy-filled (in moderation) Fall!

For more tips and tricks for healthy eating, follow RDtipoftheday on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.