Halloween is Coming!
Halloween is fast approaching and little goblins, princesses and superheroes will roam the streets in search of treats, but don’t let them be the only ones doing the walking. Walking is one of the easiest ways to be physically active. You can do it almost anywhere and at any time. We’re lucky to live in a place where the weather allows us to walk outside during this time of year, so let’s get out and enjoy it!
Here are some tips to reduce the candy intake by your little ghosts and princesses this year:
-Feed them before they go out and trick or treat, to discourage snacking while out
-Tell them about the Halloween Pumpkin that comes after Halloween to leave toys for little boys and girls…and that by leaving a bag of candy out for the Great Pumpkin, he will leave a cool toy in place of the bag of candy. This way your kid feels ownership of his candy and that by giving it away and getting something else for it, your child feels he isn’t missing out. This is a great alternative to just throwing out your child’s candy or taking it away.
-Considered setting limits on how much candy your child can eat. Tell your kids before you go out trick or treating what the limits or rules for candy eating are and explain the reasons for those limits.
-Be a role model by eating Halloween candy in moderation yourself. To help avoid temptation, buy your candy at the last minute and get rid of any leftovers.
-Remind your kids that they don’t need to eat it all now, and they’ll be able to eat more later. Encourage sharing the candy with friends or family. Not only does it thin out the candy supply, it enforces sharing
-Encourage your kids to be mindful of the amount of candy and snacks eaten, and to stop before they feel full or sick.
Keep in perspective that Halloween is just one day out of the whole year and if your family does a good job trying to eat healthy and be active, a few days of candy eating isn’t going to reverse those habits. Halloween is one of those holidays that kids can’t wait till it comes, so enjoy it! The Get Healthy Staff wants to wish all of you a Happy and Healthy Halloween!
