5 Ways to Mindfully Manage Your Family’s Halloween Candy

By Maris Altieri

Stressed about how to handle your children’s heaps of Halloween candy? Have no fear! Check out the five tips below on managing this season’s sweets.

1. Fuel Up

On the night of Halloween, make sure that your family has a hearty, balanced meal before trick-or-treating. A plate filled with whole grains, veggies, and lean protein will keep you full throughout the night. The more satiated you are, the less room you’ll have for late-night sweets.

2. Use a Smaller Bucket

Say goodbye to the pillowcase! One of the easiest ways to make sure your children go overboard with the candy intake is to stop them from gathering too much candy in the first place. Turn trash into treasure with this sustainable DIY basket.

3. Allow for Indulgence on Halloween Night

Parents should leave their food police badges at the door on Halloween. It’s important to remind ourselves that one sugar-filled night will not make our children unhealthy, but long-lasting negative relationships with food will. Although well-intentioned, hyper-focusing on and forbidding sweets can foster a sense of deprivation in children. Often times, when children feel deprived of a certain food, like candy, the tendency to want it is stronger. This can lead to binging behavior, food hoarding and future self-regulation issues.

4. Help your Child Manage the Candy Stash

Have your children sort their candy into two piles: the Gotta-Have-It candy and the Can-Live-Without-It candy. Learning to choose sweets that are truly enjoyable and savoring that flavor is an important part of healthy eating. Not sure what to do about the unwanted candy? Try out some of these creative candy crafts.

5. Keep the Candy to Structured Snacks and Meals

Children who are exposed to and allowed to eat sweets will learn to eat these foods more moderately and maintain a healthier weight over their lifetime. However, this doesn’t mean that they should be eating as much candy as their heart desires on a regular basis. Allowing kids to eat 1-2 small pieces a day will prevent them from overeating, without feeling deprived. Giving your children the power to decide when they want to eat their “candies of the day” will help them develop skills of healthy moderation.