Halloween is just around the corner—which means candy temptation is just around the corner, too. If you plan to give out candy to trick-or-treaters or at a Trunk or Treat event, buying candy early often gets you the best pick, and buying in bulk frequently provides the best financial value. But buying candy early and in large amounts can present significant challenges to staying on track with healthy eating! Try these tips to help you and your family avoid overindulging on Halloween candy.
Pre-Halloween tips
- Keep the candy in the grocery bag(s) it came in and stash it in a closet or in the back of a kitchen cabinet. Or if you’ve bought in bulk and there’s not enough room in your cabinets or closets to store it, get an opaque, airtight plastic bin and put the candy in there. Just the simple act of keeping the candy out of your line of sight can help you forget it’s there—and if you don’t remember it’s there, you won’t be focused on craving it.
- Be strategic about the types of candy you buy. For example, if you need to buy five bags of candy to have enough for the trick-or-treaters, buy four bags of candies that aren’t your favorite and one bag of candies you like. In this case, you’ve just cut your temptation potential by 80%!
- Buy some giveaways that aren’t candy. This may not always be feasible, since many non-candy giveaways are more costly than just buying candy. But if you can swing it, consider including some stickers, plastic spider rings, bouncy balls, or other non-food items in your Halloween cauldron. Plus, these items are great to have on hand if a trick-or-treater with food allergies rings your doorbell!
- Think of why you enjoy the candy and replicate the sensation with something healthier. If you like the taste of chocolate, buy a box of low-sugar hot cocoa packets to enjoy during cooler fall nights. If you like chewing gummy candy, get yourself a few packs of sugar-free bubble gum. If you like crunchier candies, slice up a juicy red bell pepper for a snack. And if you like fruity candies, reach for nature’s candy—fresh fruit!
Post-Halloween tips
If you have a lot of candy left over from your neighborhood’s trick-or-treating, these strategies can help you minimize the sugar and the temptation.
- Give yourself a treat! You weren’t expecting that tip, were you? Moderation is key here—it’s okay to have the occasional treat while generally eating healthy otherwise. Depriving yourself of treats often backfires. Instead of saying “no candy at all for me!”, choose an amount that seems reasonable and reserve that as your personal candy stash. For instance, if you have one bag of mini chocolate bars left over, take 25% of that bag and put it into a container for yourself. Use that candy as a way to treat or reward yourself after completing a challenging household task or project at work.
- Make your own trail mix. Include a little candy in your own trail mix recipe where the candy is balanced out with more nutritious ingredients like nuts, raisins or dried fruit, or pretzels, cereal, or granola made with whole grains.
- Donate it. Many organizations will gladly take leftover candy. Consider donating to these types of places:
- Local charities or food pantries
- Organizations such as Soldiers’ Angels and Operation Gratitude that send care packages to our troops, military families, first responders, veterans, and wounded soldiers and their families
- Your local children’s hospital—there are many children and families who are unable to trick-or-treat, but accept candy donations on behalf of the children they’re caring for.
From all of us at Health Advocate, we wish you and your family a happy and safe Halloween!
