It’s important to consider your child’s health when it comes to all the candy they will collect on Halloween. Not only do you need to inspect it for any tampering, but you need to consider what you will do with all of it. Experts suggest a good meal before trick-or-treating. Afterward, let your child pick a few favorite pieces, but then put away the rest. Allowing candy to sit out where children see it is often too tempting to pass up.
While a small amount of Halloween candy can be a fun treat, excess added sugars have
been linked to several health issues. The consumption of corn syrup and high fructose
corn syrup rose by 277 percent in the three decades between the 1970s and 2000.
During the same time period, obesity rates have increased sharply, too. Even
if packaging is small, calories, fat and sugar can really add up.
Treat kids to candy alternatives, such as popcorn, trail mix or pretzels, this Halloween. Explore healthier options that might trick picky eaters into enjoying a better snack. To help promote healthier habits and combat childhood obesity, many parents choose to provide alternatives to the traditional Halloween candy. Here are a few examples:
- Air-popped popcorn
- Dried fruit
- Trail mix
- Sunflower seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Animal crackers
- Pretzels
- Sugar-free chewing gum
- Temporary tattoos
- Pencils
- Erasers
- Yo-yos
- Spider rings
- Age-appropriate activity books: word-search, cross words, coloring books, etc.
- Crayons
- Mini books
- Bouncy balls
- Bubbles
- Kazoos