Have a Happy and Healthy Halloween!
Many families have fun traditions around Halloween, including dressing up in costumes and trick or treating in their neighborhoods. Regardless of your plans for Halloween night, you can find fun ways to include healthy options! Check out these tips to make the festivities fun and safe for everyone!
- Walk your Trick or Treating route. If you were thinking of only visiting your own block of neighbors, expand your route and visit another neighborhood too. The week leading up to Halloween, do some practice runs and check out all the fun and festive decorations around the neighborhood. 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!
- Think about safety before you leave. Prepare your trick or treater with items such as a flashlight, reflective tape or strips on costumes and candy bags, and an emergency contact information card in case they get separated from the group.
- On Halloween Night:
- Eating a healthy meal BEFORE your kids go trick-or-treating can reduce their temptation to snack while walking or to overindulge.
- Trick or treat as part of a large group with a responsible adult.
- Teach your kids about pedestrian safety. This includes walking on sidewalks whenever possible, looking both ways before crossing the street at a crosswalk or intersection, and walking, not running between houses.
- Check the candy you receive and eat only factory-wrapped treats. Check expiration dates and inspect all candy before allowing children to eat them. Don’t let children eat anything with questionable or unknown ingredients, especially if they have food allergies.
- Encourage your kids to be mindful of the amount of candy and snacks eaten, and to stop before they feel full or sick.
You don’t have to pass out candy on Halloween. Start a new tradition and give out healthier treats or non-edible items. Get creative and keep it colorful and kid friendly!
Keep in mind 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.
We wish you a happy and healthy Halloween!
