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It's almost Halloween. You know what that means...The kids are
asking for a different costume every other day and are lured by treats
placed strategically near the checkout stands at the market.
It's decision time: How will you handle the loot that comes home
with your little ghoul? Will it be a gorge-fest or will the candy-fairy
come and take most of the haul off into the sunset?
What the heck - Halloween comes only once a year. Why not let the
kids eat their fill? Well, at the risk of sounding preachy, we should
consider the health implications that gorging ourselves with candy can
have. Bear with me - I'll keep this brief. You have probably heard
about the rising rates of childhood obesity in our country. Obesity can
often lead to diabetes - which affects more than 200,000 children in
the U.S. What is it? Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not
produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that converts sugar and
other food into energy for daily life.
Of course, I would never suggest banning candy - it is too
delicious. And as parents, we all know that banning certain foods makes
them unbearably tempting. So what are some alternatives to the
candy-chaos that frequently surrounds this holiday?
Ellyn Satter,
an expert on feeding children, believes that kids should learn to read
their own bodies and discover their own limits. Some children naturally
show restraint. My son, for example, does not. When he was only 3, he
ate so much popcorn that he made himself throw up! But you can bet that
he never ate himself sick again.
If letting your child stuff himself to the gills isn't an option for your family, here are a few other ideas:
- Be a good role model - don't gorge (at least, not in front of them!)
- Encourage your child to pick his or her favorite 10 pieces of candy
and buy the rest from her. Encourage her to save some of the money and
donate the rest to a charity of her choice. - Don't donate the rest of your candy to a charity. In most cases,
recipients of charity need all of the nutrients they can get. If it
isn't good for your body, it isn't good for theirs, either. - Pick out a few favorites and then trade in the rest for a gift-card, book or small toy
In the end, it's up to you. Celebrate the best way you know how.
Chow on candy...or not. But remember that it is okay to shift the focus
of the holiday from the sweets to some fun activities and celebrations.
Pot-luck block parties, costume contests and candy trade-in policies
are all fun ways to make your Halloween a little less scary this year.
The dentist and the doctor will thank you.
Last year, we wrote some other Halloween articles - you can see them here and here.
For some healthier Halloween Treat ideas, please visit our Amazon Store.
